Malignant Melanoma can be a particularly dangerous form of cancer, and more therapeutic options are needed. Now, researchers report in ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters that a bacteria from seawater has inspired promising leads for an entirely new way to treat the disease.
In 2014, the researchers discovered that semiquinone, a natural product isolated from a rare marine bacteria, showed potent and selective activity against melanoma cells in a test tube. Even better, it was the first small molecule ever shown to target a particular protein involved in cancer proliferation. In their new work, the team identified the structural components of the natural product that was key to its activity, and then modified other parts of the molecule to make it more water soluble and easier to purify. Both these steps are necessary to make it more suitable as a drug. The researchers are now further refining these semiquinone derivatives to optimize activity against melanoma.
Source: https://www.rdmag.com
