κ- and λ-Carrageenans from Marine Alga Exhibit Anticancer In Vitro Activity in Human Gastrointestinal Cancers Models.

The carrageenans isolated from red algae demonstrated a variety of activities from antiviral and immunomodulatory to antitumor. The diverse structure and sulfation profile of carrageenans provide a great landscape for drug development. In this study, we isolated, purified and structurally characterized κo- and λo- oligosaccharides from the marine algae .

Marine Natural Products from the Russian Pacific as Sources of Drugs for Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Neurodegenerative diseases are growing to become one of humanity's biggest health problems, given the number of individuals affected by them. They cause enough mortalities and severe economic impact to rival cancers and infections. With the current diversity of pathophysiological mechanisms involved in neurodegenerative diseases, on the one hand, and scarcity of efficient prevention and treatment strategies, on the other, all possible sources for novel drug discovery must be employed.

Chlorin Endogenous to the North Pacific Brittle Star for Photodynamic Therapy Applications in Breast Cancer and Glioblastoma Models.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) represents a powerful avenue for anticancer treatment. PDT relies on the use of photosensitizers-compounds accumulating in the tumor and converted from benign to cytotoxic upon targeted photoactivation. We here describe (3,4)-14-Ethyl-9-(hydroxymethyl)-4,8,13,18-tetramethyl-20-oxo-3-phorbinepropanoic acid (ETPA) as a major metabolite of the North Pacific brittle stars .

Mining Natural Compounds to Target WNT Signaling: Land and Sea Tales.

WNT signaling plays paramount roles in organism development, physiology, and disease, representing a highly attractive target for drug development. However, no WNT-modulating drugs have been approved, with several candidates trudging through the early clinical trials. This delay instigates alternative approaches to discover WNT-modulating drugs.