A golf-sized green sponge discovered more than a decade ago in deep, icy waters off the coast of Alaska is showing promise as a treatment for pancreatic and ovarian cancer.

Scientists say a molecule from the sponge selectively killed malignant cells in both types of diseases in laboratory tests.

The discovery came after researchers spent the last two decades researching natural products that could be used for drugs.

‘This is big news, because there are currently few treatments for this type of cancer [pancreatic],’ Dr Douglas DeMaster, science director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) told the Detroit Free Press.

NOAA has partnered with the Henry Ford Cancer Institute in Detroit and the Medical University of South Carolina to study the sponge.

 They hope to secure additional funding to help them create a synthetic version of the molecule and carry out clinic trails.

Around 53,000 people in the US and 9,600 in the UK get pancreatic cancer each year.

It often doesn’t cause any signs or symptoms in the early stages which can make it difficult to diagnose early.

There are few chemotherapeutic drugs that have any impact on the tumor.

Patients' chances of survival at five years are only 14 per cent, according to the American Cancer Society.

Ovarian cancer, or cancer of the ovaries, is one of the most common types of cancer in women.

It mainly affects women who have been through the menopause (usually over the age of 50), but it can sometimes affect younger women.

Unique chemical

NOAA biologist Bob Stone discovered the sponge, called Latrunculia austini, while carrying out a fish habitat survey in 2005. It lives in large patches at depths of 70 to 219m (230 to 720 feet).

‘It’s likely that the sponge has a unique chemical composition because it has adapted to this cold, dark habitat,’ Dr DeMaster said.

The molecule in the sponge is structurally and chemically unique, said researchers.

‘It's not a molecule that we’ve seen before,’ said Henry Ford senior researcher Dr Fred Valeriote.

The researchers discovered that the molecule killed cancer cells more effectively, or at a higher degree, than normal cells.

‘I’ve looked at 5,000 sponge extracts over the last two decades. In terms of this particular pattern of pancreatic and ovarian cancer selective activity, we’ve only seen one (other) sponge with such activity, and that was one collected many years ago in Indonesia.’

Any clinical trials would likely be about six years away, he said.

Untapped potential

Green sponges stick strongly to rocky surfaces, making them among the hardest sponges to collect.

Latrunculia austini lives in an area that stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to the Olympic Coast off Washington state.

Although the area has been protected from trawling activity since 1996, the researchers fear the protections in place may not be adequate enough.

Dr Stone pointed out that 70 per cent of the planet is sea — but less than five per cent of the ocean has been explored.

‘The discovery of this green sponge shows the promise of the untapped potential of the ocean,’ he said, ‘and the possibility that a life-saving medical discovery is within our reach.’ 

source: AFP