An international team of scientists, including Russian specialists from the Far Eastern Federal University, found that a substance isolated from the Far Eastern sea cucumber (cucumaria) is capable of killing tumor cells. This was reported in a press release received by the editorial board of "Lenta.ru".
The studies were carried out on cancer cell cultures. It turned out that the biologically active compound Frondoside A is able to suppress the growth of malignant tissues in which the p53 protein is not produced. The latter is present in healthy cells, contributing to their death in the event of DNA damage, but in about half of all cancerous tumors it mutates, ceasing to perform their protective functions.
Scientists have found that Frondoside kills even those cancer cells that are resistant to classical chemotherapy. However, the researchers emphasize that further testing is needed using living organisms rather than cell cultures.
According to Sergei Dyshlovy, one of the authors of the scientific work, many marine invertebrates accumulate highly active substances in their tissues for their own protection. These compounds potentially have medicinal properties.