A tiny marine creature found in the freezing waters of Antarctica could play a vital role in the development of new treatments for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
During a recent six-week scientific expedition to the icy continent, researchers from the University of South Florida (USF), the Desert Research Institute, and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography collected samples of ascidians, commonly known as sea squirts. These invertebrates thrive on the ocean floor and host a variety of microorganisms.
The scientists discovered that a specific bacterium living inside the sea squirt species Synoicum adareanum produces a toxic chemical compound called palmerolide A. While the creature uses this toxin as a natural defense mechanism against predators, researchers found that it exhibits a remarkable ability to selectively target and kill human melanoma cells, leaving healthy cells completely unharmed.
According to Bill Baker, a professor of chemistry at USF who led the study, finding a treatment that kills cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue is a major hurdle in oncology. "In our lab tests on mice, the compound successfully destroyed the melanoma cells without showing toxicity to the animals," Baker explained, highlighting the therapeutic potential of the discovery.
Despite the promising laboratory results, a human treatment remains years away. Harvesting the compound directly from wild sea squirts is not viable, as doing so in large quantities would devastate the fragile Antarctic ecosystem. To overcome this obstacle, the research team is currently mapping the genetic pathway of the bacterium in order to synthesize palmerolide A in the laboratory.
If they succeed in reproducing the compound synthetically, it will still need to undergo rigorous, regulated clinical trials to ensure its safety and efficacy before it can be approved for use in human patients.