This green, obscure green sponge is pretty drab compared to its dazzling deep-sea coral neighbours. This golf ball-sized sponge discovered about a decade ago in deep, icy waters, living on rocks as patches in depths of approximately 230-720 feet, off the coast of Alaska, is now exhibiting impressive potential for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
In lab tests, several of Latrunculia austini’s molecules selectively target and kill pancreatic tumor cells, according to biomedical researchers at the Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina and at the Henry Ford Cancer Institute in Detroit.
“You’d never look at this sponge and think this is a miracle sponge, but it could be,” said Bob Stone, a researcher at NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska Fisheries Science Center. He was the first to discover the sponge in Alaska while operating from a submersible on the North Pacific’s seafloor.
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadliest types and is often hard to spot- which is one of the reasons it’s known as a silent killer. This form progresses slowly, a circumstance which leaves patients in a tough position as late diagnosis means little chance for successful treatment. Patients’ chances of survival at five years for this tumor are only 14%, according
to the American Cancer Society.Lab testing has shown that several molecules in this sponge selectively destroy pancreatic cancer cells, said Mark Hamann, a University of South Carolina researcher working with Fred Valeriote of the Henry Ford Cancer Institute in Detroit.
“This is undoubtedly the most active molecule against pancreatic cancer that we see,” said Hamann. “Although there is still much work to be done, it marks the first key step in the discovery and process of developing a treatment,” he said.
Fred Valeriote, Ph.D., senior researcher with the Henry Ford Cancer Institute, upon receiving the samples, exposed the pancreatic cancer cell line to them, which revealed that the green sponge extract had anti-cancer activity, or the ability to kill pancreatic cancer cells.
“On average, less than one in 100 sponge extracts will present the anti-cancer activity that we observed with the green sponge in our lab. It’s a promising initial step forward in developing new treatments for pancreatic cancer,” said Valeriote. “Given the lack of current effective drug treatments available for pancreatic cancer, this study finding offers hope for the future of cancer care.”
Latrunculia austini was discovered little more than 10 years ago. When scientists explore the deep ocean they often find something no one has ever seen. And it’s not surprising considering only five percent of world oceans have been explored. Every new discovery has added to our knowledge of fishing productivity. But an unassuming green sponge might prove the benefits are greater than anyone could’ve imagined.
