Coral – anti-cancer prospect

A journey of a quarter of a century searching for the “Holy Grail” from the ocean

Coral reef networks create many jobs and billions of dollars in revenue from tourism activities including diving tours, fishing … plus restaurant services, hotels and many other businesses.

However, the vast and deep ocean always hides many secrets that people still do not know. Therefore, public opinion once again stirred when one of the “most hidden secrets” was discovered by scientists, related to what is known as the “Holy Grail”.

The coral reef is also a destination that attracts many tourists to admire the magical beauty of the seabed. (Photo: The Hobe Sound Nature Nature Center)

It is after 25 years of painstakingly searching for a new treatment against cancer that the “Drug Hunters” (“drug hunters” – those who strive to bring new drugs to society) have discovered this kind of medicine. Chemicals known as the “Holy Grail” can be used to treat cancer.

According to one legend, the “Holy Grail” is the cup (cup, cup) used by Jesus at the farewell party. For thousands of years, the “Holy Grail” was rumored to hold boundless power and authority, for during that feast Jesus transformed the wine in the “Holy Grail” into Holy Blood.

The image of the “Holy Grail” appeared in the American series “Indian Jones and the Last Crusade”. (Photo: AFP/Getty)

The chemical that is likened to the “Holy Grail” is called Eleutherobin. In the 1990s it was identified in a rare coral species near Australia, but since then scientists have been unable to find Eleutherobin in the quantities needed for laboratory use.

Scientists have made a big step in a quarter-century journey to find a natural anti-cancer agent, known as the “Holy Grail” from the ocean, in common soft coral off the coast of Florida, USA. (Photo: Bailey Miller)

Now, researchers from the University of Utah, USA have discovered that this elusive chemical Eleutherobin is also produced by common Soft Corals off the coast of Florida.

Florida is the only state in the continental United States with extensive shallow reef formations near the coast. Before Covid-19 this was a “Hot” tourist destination, attracting about 3.5 million tourists to experience and explore each year.

“Holy Grail” from the ocean with anti-cancer promise

Now the researchers hope to be able to reproduce Soft Corals in the laboratory, from which to produce Eleutherobin in the large quantities needed for rigorous testing. Eleutherobin could one day be used as a new tool against cancer, saving many lives.

Dr. Paul Scesa is the first author to study the potential of Soft Corals-produced chemicals such as Drug Leads (“Leading Compounds”). (Photo: Kristan Jakobsen)

Except for one species, Fire corals, all corals are divided into two main subclasses: Hard Corals have a “skeleton” containing Calcium Carbonate (limestone); Soft Corals do not have that “skeleton”, so flexible that they can swing with the water.

Soft Corals are known to have thousands of medicinal-like compounds that can double as antibiotic and anti-inflammatory agents. Eleutherobin is used by soft corals as a defense against predators that “eat” them, unlike the chemicals found in venom that are injected into their prey.

So the chemicals of soft corals (Soft Corals) are easy to assimilate. Medicines made from such compounds can be taken as tablets to be taken orally, rather than having to be injected or interfered with by other means.

Dr. Paul Scesa brought live coral samples from Florida to the lab in Utah – where the hunt for the “Holy Grail” from the ocean began. (Photo:@ Paul Scesa)

“This is the first time we’ve been able to do that with any Drug Leads,” which are chemical compounds that show promise for treating disease and could lead to the development of a drug. new) on Earth,” said Dr. Eric Schmidt, Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Utah Hospital.

Dr. Eric Schmidt led the study, along with scientist Paul Scesa and Associate Professor Zhenjian Lin.

Coral reef networks generate billions of dollars in revenue from tourism activities, including diving and fishing tours plus restaurant and hotel services… (Photo: conservation.reefcause)

A second research team was led by Dr. Bradley Moore of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography at the University of California in San Diego, California. The team also showed that: Corals make related molecules. Both studies were published May 23 in the international journal Nature Chemical Biology.