Latest news with #Glycobiology
Economic Times
4 hours ago
- Health
- Economic Times
Scientists have found a breakthrough in cancer treatment, and it is deep within the ocean
Scientists at the University of Mississippi have made a significant discovery. They found a rare sugar in sea cucumbers. This sugar shows potential in stopping cancer spread. The compound blocks an enzyme cancer cells use to grow. Unlike other inhibitors, it does not affect blood clotting. Researchers are working to synthesize the compound for further testing. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What does the discovery say? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Safe for human use Lack of abundance A team of scientists led by the University of Mississippi has discovered a rare sugar in sea cucumbers that may help stop cancer from spreading, without the dangerous side effects of traditional study published in the journal Glycobiology reveals that a compound called fucosylated chondroitin sulfate, found in the sea cucumber Holothuria floridana, blocks Sulf-2, an enzyme that cancer cells use to grow and metastasize. The compound could become a critical tool in future cancer therapies.'Marine life produces compounds with unique structures that are often rare or not found in terrestrial vertebrates,' said Marwa Farrag, a fourth-year doctoral student and lead author of the study. 'The sugar compounds in sea cucumbers are unique. They aren't commonly seen in other organisms. That's why they're worth studying.'Sulf-2 plays a key role in altering glycans, sugar molecules that coat the surface of all human cells and regulate communication and immune responses. When this enzyme modifies glycans, it helps cancer cells break away and spread. Blocking Sulf-2 may stop tumors from invading healthy tissues.'This sugar essentially stops the pruning of the cellular 'forest,'' said Dr. Vitor Pomin, associate professor of pharmacognosy. 'If we can inhibit that enzyme, we are fighting against the spread of cancer.'The research team, which also included scientists from Georgetown University, used lab testing and computer modeling to confirm the sugar's effect. Both methods produced consistent some Sulf-2 inhibitors already known, this sea cucumber sugar does not affect blood clotting, making it safer for use in humans. 'If a molecule interferes with blood coagulation, you risk life-threatening bleeding,' said Dr. Joshua Sharp, associate professor of pharmacology. 'This one doesn't.'The team now faces a new challenge: sea cucumbers aren't abundant enough to harvest for mass production. 'One of the problems in developing this as a drug would be the low yield,' said Dr. Pomin. 'So, we have to develop a chemical route.'The scientists are currently working to synthesize the compound in the lab so it can be tested in animal successful, this breakthrough could pave the way for cleaner, safer, and more sustainable cancer treatments, originating not from synthetic chemicals or land animals, but from the ocean floor.
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
Scientists have found a breakthrough in cancer treatment, and it is deep within the ocean
A team of scientists led by the University of Mississippi has discovered a rare sugar in sea cucumbers that may help stop cancer from spreading, without the dangerous side effects of traditional treatments. What does the discovery say? The study published in the journal Glycobiology reveals that a compound called fucosylated chondroitin sulfate, found in the sea cucumber Holothuria floridana, blocks Sulf-2, an enzyme that cancer cells use to grow and metastasize. The compound could become a critical tool in future cancer therapies. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo 'Marine life produces compounds with unique structures that are often rare or not found in terrestrial vertebrates,' said Marwa Farrag, a fourth-year doctoral student and lead author of the study. 'The sugar compounds in sea cucumbers are unique. They aren't commonly seen in other organisms. That's why they're worth studying.' Sulf-2 plays a key role in altering glycans, sugar molecules that coat the surface of all human cells and regulate communication and immune responses. When this enzyme modifies glycans, it helps cancer cells break away and spread. Blocking Sulf-2 may stop tumors from invading healthy tissues. Live Events 'This sugar essentially stops the pruning of the cellular 'forest,'' said Dr. Vitor Pomin, associate professor of pharmacognosy. 'If we can inhibit that enzyme, we are fighting against the spread of cancer.' The research team, which also included scientists from Georgetown University, used lab testing and computer modeling to confirm the sugar's effect. Both methods produced consistent results. Safe for human use Unlike some Sulf-2 inhibitors already known, this sea cucumber sugar does not affect blood clotting, making it safer for use in humans. 'If a molecule interferes with blood coagulation, you risk life-threatening bleeding,' said Dr. Joshua Sharp, associate professor of pharmacology. 'This one doesn't.' Lack of abundance The team now faces a new challenge: sea cucumbers aren't abundant enough to harvest for mass production. 'One of the problems in developing this as a drug would be the low yield,' said Dr. Pomin. 'So, we have to develop a chemical route.' The scientists are currently working to synthesize the compound in the lab so it can be tested in animal models. If successful, this breakthrough could pave the way for cleaner, safer, and more sustainable cancer treatments, originating not from synthetic chemicals or land animals, but from the ocean floor.
