Marine Anticancer Agents: An Overview with a Particular Focus on Their Chemical Classes

Abstract

The marine environment is a rich source of biologically active molecules for the treatment of human diseases, especially cancer. The adaptation to unique environmental conditions led marine organisms to evolve different pathways than their terrestrial counterparts, thus producing unique chemicals with a broad diversity and complexity. So far, more than 36,000 compounds have been isolated from marine micro- and macro-organisms including but not limited to fungi, bacteria, microalgae, macroalgae, sponges, corals, mollusks and tunicates, with hundreds of new marine natural products (MNPs) being discovered every year. Marine-based pharmaceuticals have started to impact modern pharmacology and different anti-cancer drugs derived from marine compounds have been approved for clinical use, such as: cytarabine, vidarabine, nelarabine (prodrug of ara-G), fludarabine phosphate (pro-drug of ara-A), trabectedin, eribulin mesylate, brentuximab vedotin, polatuzumab vedotin, enfortumab vedotin, belantamab mafodotin, plitidepsin, and lurbinectedin. This review focuses on the bioactive molecules derived from the marine environment with anticancer activity, discussing their families, origin, structural features and therapeutic use.

Screening of Marine Bioactive Antimicrobial Compounds for Plant Pathogens

“…At present, studies have isolated natural products with anti-tumor, anti-microbiol, and other biological activities from marine organisms [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 16 , 17 , 25 ]. Modern pharmacological research also shows that many marine biological metabolites are effective in killing phytopathogenic microbes and can be used for the development of biological microbicides.…”

“…The structures and pharmacological effects of these marine-derived active substances are usually unmatched by those derived from the terrestrial organisms. Thus far, scientists have isolated numerous natural products with antitumor, antibacterial, and other biological activities from marine organisms [ 12 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. Modern pharmacological studies also demonstrate that many marine biological metabolites show good effects on killing phytopathogenic bacteria, which possibly can be used for developing biological fungicides [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ].…”

Plitidepsin, an inhibitor of the cell elongation factor eEF1a, and molnupiravir an analogue of the ribonucleoside cytidine, two new chemical compounds with intense activity against SARS-CoV-2

“…Un compuesto relacionado es la plitidepsina (Aplidin®, PLD) (dehidrodidemnina B, Aplidin, PharmaMar, SA, España) que es un depsipéptido que posee un piruvato en vez de un lactato en la posición N-terminal (Figura 2). Este compuesto fue aislado originalmente de la especie marina mediterránea Aplidium albicans y presenta un formula molecular de C 57 H 87 N 7 O 15 [9][10][11].…”

“…A pesar del pequeño cambio estructural, la plitidepsina se ha mostrado en los estudios en humanos mucho más potente en su actividad inhibitoria de la eEF1A y menos tóxica que la propia didemnina B, de ahí que se ha convertido en su sustituto clínico [6,9]. La plitidepsina se fija al eEF1A y además de bloquear la síntesis proteica induce un estrés oxidativo a la célula mediante la activación y fosforilación de los factores Rac1 GTPasa y JNK1 que determina la apoptosis y muerte celular [3,6].…”

Antimicrobial Potential and Phytochemical Screening of Clathria sp. 1 and Tedania (Tedania) stylonychaeta Sponge Crude Extracts Obtained from the South East Coast of South Africa

“…These chemicals include defence agents against microbial infection and agents used in the competition for space in the crowded marine reef environment [ 10 ]. Several medications derived from sponges are available in the market, and others are in clinical trials (Eribulin Mesylate, Cytarabine, and Vidarabine) [ 11 ]. Generally, marine invertebrates have been mostly researched for neurophysiological and anticancer properties rather than antimicrobial potential.…”