Cancer Fighting Compound

September 29, 2010

Roughly twelve million people each year face the difficult diagnosis of cancer, now the leading cause of death worldwide. But the development of new anti-cancer drugs remains a challenge, despite advances in understanding the make-up of cancer cells. Now University of Florida researchers have discovered a natural compound called largazole, found in the waters off the Florida Keys. Largazole has already shown promising results fighting colon cancer cells.

Dr. Hendrik Luesch/UF drug discovery researcher: “Largazole targets a protein that is overexpressed, overactive in cancer cells and it is known that the effect of Largazole is much greater on cancer cells than on normal cells.”

UF researchers discovered largazole while collecting cyanobacteria or blue-green algae in the waters near Key Largo, Florida. Only one current cancer drug comes from the world’s oceans and researchers say the major obstacle in marine natural products research involved obtaining big enough quantities for drug development.

Dr. Hendrik Luesch/UF drug discovery researcher: “We have solved this problem. We have defined the chemical structure and we have been able to recreate the molecule in the lab without relying on the natural cyanobacteria. So we do not have to recollect, we can reproduce the molecule in the laboratory.”