Anti-cancer potential of blue algae

Cyanobacteria are some of the oldest living organisms on earth. This algae can produce a potential chemical compound used in research to create effective chemotherapy drugs.
Recent research by scientists investigates the chemical composition of a species of cyanobacteria in South Florida that has important features in fighting cancer.

Scientists’ discoveries at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) and University of Florida (UF) have shown that marine biodiversity studies can enhance biomedical research. The naming of the compound Gatorbulin-1 (GB1) found in blue algae is a tribute to UF researchers and global partners who lit the torch for the discovery and traits of algae. lam. From self-defense to drugs Cyanobacteria are single-celled terrestrial and aquatic organisms around the world. They can use chemicals to defend themselves against predators. These chemicals also play a role in helping the cyanobacteria communicate. “ We studied a series of compounds called Quorum’s emotional inhibitors that affect the chemical signals that cyanobacteria have, ” said Dr. Valerie Paul, a chemical ecologist at Smithsonian Marine Station. used to communicate. The Quorum emotion is a name for the way bacteria communicate using chemical signals. The scientists examined the cyanobacteria’s communication and defense compounds to test for biomedical properties. Often they realize the compound’s medical potential before understanding why cyanobacteria take it. In a new study, GB1 was shown to have significant anticancer activity with the potential for a new drug formulation. But scientists are not quite sure how cyanobacteria use it. TS. Nature has optimized these compounds, which are created for a certain purpose, in the case of blue-green algae, said Paul, as self-defense. Chemical structure of Gatorbulin-1 (GB1) molecule. From the sea to the lab The blue-green algae targeted, Lyngbya confervoides, was discovered more than a decade before Dr. Paul started collecting this species. She quickly realized that the algae produced many different compounds, so she sent the samples to her collaborator Professor Hendrik Luesch for further study. But finding a new compound like GB1 that has the potential to make a new drug is a long process (not including the time it takes to add and test it to convert the compound into a safe, functional drug). The first stage of the procedure is to isolate and demonstrate that the purified compound can selectively kill cancer cells. Spurred by this discovery, Prof. Hendrik’s team was trying to find a way to synthesize the substance in the laboratory. A reliable way to produce GB1 is the first important thing to do in-depth research. “We like to stay in place to collect more cyanobacteria to isolate enough materials for advanced research,” Dr. Hendrik said. As organic chemists, we are able to replicate these natural molecules in larger quantities in the laboratory without having to depend on cyanobacteria. GB1 has been added to additional stages for the synthesis process. Scientists have discovered that GB1 targets a protein in cells called Tubulin – the same protein cells require during cell division and uses it to build ” internal scaffolding ”. While there are many chemotherapy drugs that target Tubulin, Prof. Hendrik and colleagues assert that GB1 is more special because it interacts with Tubulin in new ways. Now researchers are eager to see GB1 as effective in the real world as well as its potential to make anti-cancer drugs. The cyanobacteria that produced Gatorbulin-1 (GBI) was recognized as the algae Lyngbya confervoides. Healing ability of biochemistry Organic chemists often turn to nature to study drug formulation. For example, compounds in terrestrial life mechanisms such as plants and fungi led to the creation of important drugs such as penicillin that is now a staple of modern medicine. In the ocean, about three-quarters of the earth’s surface has yet to be touched by humans. “It’s really a chemical war in the ocean,” said Professor Hendrik. The more battles and communications like that will help us humans understand more about the active compounds that can apply to mankind. ” And Dr. Paul said: “From a chemical ecologist’s point of view, this biodiversity is equivalent to chemical diversity. We can find everything in the ocean we never dreamed of. ” Nguyen Thanh Hai ( (According to smithsonianmag) )