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British sea sponge may fight cancer

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British sea sponge may fight cancer 14:34pm 28th September 2005 What is RSS?

A sea sponge found in rock pools on British beaches may help the battle against breast and lung cancer, scientists have said. The sponges were found in rock pools in the Gower Peninsula in South Wales, and scientists believe they may be a possible source of new drugs for treating such cancers.

The research was carried out by Cardiff University's School of Pharmacy, in collaboration with the Tenovus Centre for Cancer Research at the university.

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Join the debate » Project leader Dr Alex White said such research has normally focused on tropical varieties of sponges and other marine organisms. But last summer, while walking along a beach on Gower, he spotted the orange sponge and decided to test it, the Western Mail newspaper reported.

Cardiff University said Dr White has found that certain extracts from the Hymeniacidon species of sponge have been found to contain compounds with potential anti-cancer activity.

Initial findings have shown that these extracts were highly potent growth inhibitors of human breast cancer and small cell lung cancer. Further studies are now under way.

Dr White said: "Our preliminary investigations have identified a number of bioactive extracts from the Welsh sponge, fuelling a promising area for drug discovery."

The research is unusual, as medicinal compounds from marine organisms have traditionally been found in species in warm or tropical seas.

"British sponges and their medicinal properties are largely unexplored and have untapped potential for the discovery of new drugs," said Dr White.

The research was presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester this week.