Scientists have taken a big step forward in the search for new cancer treatments, after discovering natural anti-cancer chemicals in the ‘Holy Grail’ soft coral.
The chemical, called eleutherobin, was identified in a rare coral near Australia in the 1990s, but since then scientists have not been able to find it in large enough quantities to be used in a laboratory.
Now, researchers from the University of Utah have discovered that the elusive chemical is also produced by soft corals living off the coast of Florida.
The team now hopes to recreate the soft coral in the laboratory, hoping to produce the large amounts of the chemical required for rigorous testing.
One day, the chemical could be used as a new tool to fight cancer, according to the team.
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Scientists have taken a big step forward in the search for a new cancer treatment, after discovering the natural anti-cancer chemical ‘Holy Grail’ in soft coral (pictured)
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Soft corals use euthyropine as a defense against predators, because the chemical disrupts the cytoskeleton – the main scaffold in cells.
However, laboratory studies have shown that the compound can also inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
Growing up in Florida, Dr. Paul Sisica, the study’s first author, suspects that the coral in the area may contain the elusive chemical.
Dr. Scesa brought small samples of live coral from Florida to a laboratory in Utah, where the real fishing began.
While previous research has suggested that erythropine is made by symbiotic organisms living within coral reefs, the researchers suspect that this is not the case.
“That doesn’t make sense,” said Dr. Sesesa. “We know that corals have to make eleutrophins.”
Raised in Florida, Dr. Paul Sisica (pictured), the study’s first author, suspects the area’s corals may contain the elusive chemical.
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Dr. Scesa brought small samples of live coral from Florida to a laboratory in Utah, where the real fishing began.
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In the laboratory, researchers are beginning to understand whether the coral’s genetic code carries the instructions for making the compound.
This proved difficult, as scientists had no idea what the instructions for making the chemical would look like.
“It’s like going into the dark and looking for an answer where you don’t know the question,” said Professor Eric Schmidt, one of the study’s lead authors.
To solve this problem, the researchers looked for regions of coral DNA that resemble the genetic instructions for similar compounds from other species.
Then they programmed laboratory-grown bacteria to follow coral DNA instructions for soft corals, and found that they were able to mimic the first steps of making chemicals.
According to the researchers, this proves that soft corals are a source of eleutherobin.
The team now hopes to fill in the missing steps from the chemical’s recipe, and try to replicate it in the lab.
“I hope to turn this over to the doctor one day,” added Dr. Sesesa.
“I think of it as moving from the bottom of the ocean to the bench to the bed.”
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