Anti-Cancer Compound Found In Soft Corals Can Help Develop Effective Cancer Cure

For nearly 25 years, a rare coral reef species have been known to contain a promising anti-cancer chemical, and now new research has found that other coral species produce this chemical in abundance.

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The compound is named eleutherobin and after it was isolated from a rare coral species off the coast of Australia in the 1990s. Analysis revealed its extremely potent, highly cytotoxic anticancer potential. However, at the time, they didn't know where to find them in meaningful amounts, to allow scalability.

However recently, thanks to advanced DNA technology, it was possible to study the corals¡¯ genetic code to see if it possessed instructions to form the compound, without really knowing what the instructions would appear like.

Researchers applied the DNA tools to other coral species to look for these very genetic instructions for the creation of compounds identical to eleutherobin.

Researchers then grew bacteria in the lab and programmed to follow the instructions, where they saw the microorganisms carrying out the process to create precursors for eleutherobin.

Researchers highlighted that this proved the soft corals from which the genetic instructions were sourced are the producers of the anti-cancer compound. Recreating it in a lab by harnessing the DNA code of the creature allows the possibility of creating the compound in the need for further research and drug development.

Eric Schmidt, who co-led the study with Scesa said in a statement, ¡°This is the first time we have been able to do this with any drug lead on Earth.¡±

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Eleutherobin is actually used by the corals to ward off predators and is developed to be eaten. This means the compounds based on the chemical should also be easy to digest and can be consumed in a pill form.

Schmidt added, ¡°These compounds are harder to find but they¡¯re easier to make in the lab and easier to take as medicine.¡±

Scesa concluded by stating, ¡°My hope is to one day hand these to a doctor,¡± says Scesa. ¡°I think of it as going from the bottom of the ocean to bench to bedside.¡±

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