Blue-green algae, some of the oldest organisms found on this planet that appeared in the fossil record more than three-and-a-half billion years ago, produce a chemical compound that exhibits potential for further study as a groundbreaking chemotherapy drug.
Indeed, according to Smithsonian Magazine, these photosynthetic bacteria are now more than just their history because of the possible benefit they can give.
A study published in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences journal explains how the compound called GB1 or gatorbulin-1 from a species of cyanobacteria in South Florida may have a substantial anti-cancer activity.
Such a discovery by researchers at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and the University of Florida demonstrates how examining marine diversity can improve biomedical studies.
The name, gatorbulin-1, this report specifies, pays tribute to the researchers of UF and their global partners who paved the way for its finding and characterization.
Interest in Sites with High Marine Biodiversity
According to the paper's lead author, medical chemist Dr. Hendrik Luesch, the Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development director at the University of Florida, the ocean is fairly unexplored. It is a site, the chemist continued, where most of the biological and chemical diversity is not discovered.
He also explained that they are interested in sites with high marine biodiversity, which means there are many organisms communicating and combating, utilizing compounds that can be pivoted to develop drugs.
What are 'Cyanobacteria'?
These single-celled bacteria exist on land and in water anywhere in the world. However, even these simple organisms have multifaceted associations with the world surrounding them.
As explained in the Water Research Foundation's YouTube video below, Cyanobacteria do not have teeth, claws, or any threatening growl for protection or guard. Instead, they are using chemicals to shield themselves from their predators. More so, their chemicals help the microorganisms to communicate, as well.
Smithsonian Marine Station's chemical ecologist and head scientist Dr. Valerie Paul says they have examined a series of compounds known as quorum sensing inhibitors that impact the chemical hints the microbes are using to communicate.
Essentially, 'quorum sensing' is how bacteria communicate through chemical signals.
Leush and Paul explain they examined cyanobacteria's defense and communication compounds to test if they had biomedical properties.
Often, they elaborate; they realize the medicinal potential of the compound before they can understand why cyanobacteria are using it.
GB1 Found to Significant Cancer-Fighting Activity
In this research, GB1 contains significant anti-cancer activity that can be developed into a new drug.
The two experts have understood how gatorbulin-1 could be essential to humans, although it is less clear how a cyanobacterium uses it.
Paul explains nature has already enhanced such compounds, and, in some circumstances, they do not know what for. His strong feeling as a chemical ecologist, the expert elaborates, is that the compounds are being developed for a purpose.
GBB-1, she continues explaining, was not developed as a potential cancer-fighting drug or target humans, although its poisonousness to cells naturally serves some purpose in the cyanobacterium.
Potential to Heal
Organic chemists frequently turn to nature for their discovery study on drugs. For instance, compounds from land bacteria like plants and fungi have resulted in essential medicines like penicillin, now considered staples for this era's medicine.
However, the ocean, which comprises nearly three-quarters of the surface of the earth, stays generally unexplored. Paul says entire groups of creatures in the ocean do not live or are not seen on land and have gone through totally different evolution weights over time.
Like cyanobacteria, many other marine species do not have physical defenses, not to mention have developed chemicals for defense and communication.
Lastly, based on this study, all those developed and under-investigated compounds could hold the baselines for researchers to develop new drugs.
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