The little green sponge, Latrunculina austini, has chemical extracts that can kill pancreatic and ovarian cancer cells. It was initially spotted at the bottom of the Alaska North Pacific Ocean during a 2005 mission to study the seafloor. When NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center researcher Bob Stone saw the sponge’s striking color from the expedition’s submersible, he knew it was worthy of collection. Stone realized this sponge looked like another species he had been collecting for Mark Hamann, a cancer researcher at the Medical University of South Carolina. Hamann has studied connections between marine life and medicine for more than 20 years.
Lab tests from the institute revealed that the green sponge’s chemical extracts can kill pancreatic and ovarian cancer cells. This is an amazing biological feat, considering that these types of cells are slow-growing and thus unresponsive to traditional cancer treatment methods. Scientists claim fewer than one in 100 sponge extracts exhibit the same anti-cancer activity as this sponge, making it a rare and exciting find! Read More
