Isolated fertilizer from Ophiura sarsii can be used as an affordable drug for photodynamic therapy

A rare biologically active porphyrin fertilizer was separated from the seabed resident Ophiura sarsii. The substance can be used as an affordable light-sensitive drug for innovative photodynamic therapy and for targeted treatment of triple-negative breast cancer and some other cancers. Researchers from the Federal Eastern Federal University (FEFU) School of Biomedicine and the University of Geneva reported the findings. Marine drugs.

The seabed occupant Ophiura sarsii, the source of the new cement, was separated at a depth of 15-18 meters in Bogdanovich Bay, Russky Island (Vladivostok, Russia). Ophiuras may be star-like, however, these are two completely different classes, belonging to the genus echinoderms. Recognized in 1855, O. sarsii lives heavily in the shallows of the ocean and at depths. This abundance leaves the species a natural source of strong medicine with little risk of extinction. It is also easy to collect compared to deep sea species of this group of marine life.

First, biologically active molecules from O. sarsii were studied for their ability to suppress the development of triple-negative breast cancer cells. After the antitumor effect was positive, scientists became interested in the formula of the cement. They were surprised when it turned out to represent a mixture of a compound class called porphyrins, which was previously obtained only through complex artificial synthesis. From Ophiuras, it can be compared to that in just one step without expensive technological processes.

“The fertilizer belongs to the group of porphyrins, substances that have never been found before in the Ophiurae. It was not previously identified in natural sources but instead was obtained only through organic synthesis. In photodynamic medicine, porphyrins can be applied as photosensitizers, agents which, when applied with a laser, emit active oxygen that kills tumor cells, with minimal effect on the rest of the body Photodynamic therapy has been introduced to treat cancers of the bladder, esophagus, lungs, and basal cell carcinoma. For various dermatological methods “. Explains Vladimir Katanaev, lead author of the study, Head of the Pharmacology Laboratory of Natural Compounds, FEFU. “Artificial synthesis of photosensitizers and, in particular, porphyrin is very expensive. That is leading scientists around the world to look for new sources of such compounds. We were able to obtain one with a simple method from a source. This discovery could advance the biomedicine and, in particular, the developments in the field of targeted anti-cancer treatment based on natural fertilizers. “

The study includes evaluation data for the photodynamic therapy market showing that it could reach nearly $ 12 billion by 2027. However, the market relies on a very small set of therapeutic compounds. New sources of photosensitizers will help expand the treatment options and make the procedure more accessible.

“Molecules of the porphyrin group have also been found in other marine organisms. For example, in dinoflagellates, the algae are to blame for the red tides that kill for life. However, no attempt has been made have ever developed a medical version of the material from them if and when the medical efficacy of the material we find is proved, it is quite possible to increase the production of Ophiurae by means of farming, or by making make the best use of existing synthesis methods on the basis of natural fertilizers to simplify them and make them cost-effective, “says Vladimir Katanaev.

Natural fertilizers from Ophiura also show strong potential in blocking the WNT signaling pathway in tumor cells. The activity of this pathway is extremely important at the stage of human embryonic development, but their recurrence in adults is one of the reasons for the development of a triple-negative form of breast cancer, colon cancer, and some other tumors. Scientists will study the anti-WNT potential of new compounds from Ophiurae at the next stages.

It remains to be seen whether O. sarsii produces porphyrin fertilizers on their own or from “diet-specific preferences”. In addition, researchers are interested in whether the species is present throughout its vast habitat, or whether the Russky Island area is simply a local phenomenon.

Earlier, scientists from the FEFU School of Biomedicine found that human RSP-12 protein could be a potential target for anti-cancer treatment. For the study, they used the eye that developed Drosophila as a test platform.