An odd organism living within the icy waters of Antarctica could hold the important thing to curing melanoma skin cancer.
A team from the University of South Florida (USF) has returned from a six-week expedition to some of the distant regions on Earth to review a species of ascidian, commonly often known as a sea squirt, which accommodates a bacterium able to killing melanoma cancer cells.
USF chemistry professor Bill Baker’s research has identified the organism’s potential cancer-fighting properties.
He’s now helping to steer a US National Science Foundation-supported project aimed toward understanding the compound in greater detail and assessing whether it could in the future contribute to latest treatments for melanoma patients.
Professor Baker said: ‘We first discovered this ascidian produces a bacterium that accommodates a toxic compound that kills melanoma cancer cells while not harming normal human cells.
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‘That selectivity is critical in drug development because you must treat the disease without harming the patient.’
For a long time, Professor Baker has travelled to Antarctica to review marine organisms that will have pharmaceutical applications.
Previous discoveries by his team have led to patented compounds with potential uses in tackling diseases including drug-resistant malaria, cancer and antibiotic-resistant infections.
Researchers say Antarctica offers a singular natural laboratory due to its long geographical and environmental isolation.
Professor Baker added: ‘The continent is exclusive since it has been geographically and environmentally isolated for hundreds of thousands of years.
‘In consequence, species in Antarctica have had time to evolve independently, resulting in highly specialized organisms. The ascidians we study are adapted specifically to this environment and are usually not found anywhere else.’
While Professor Baker advised the 2026 expedition from america, USF diving safety officer Ben Meister and postdoctoral researcher Sam Afoullouss represented the university on the Antarctic mission.
Afoullouss said: ‘Our expedition focused on determining where the ascidian’s melanoma-killing bacterium occurs and the way widespread it’s.
‘We also wanted to know the way it lives contained in the organism and the way that connects to the compounds linked to melanoma research.’
The ascidians studied through the expedition are typically found at depths of between 60 and 80ft, often attached to steep or vertical surfaces on the seafloor where strong currents provide a gentle supply of nutrients.
Collecting the specimens required multiple dives in addition to the deployment of remotely operated vehicles to research deeper waters and discover latest collection sites along the Antarctic Peninsula.
Mr Meister said: ‘On average, our dives were about 25 to 35 minutes at a time with a maximum of 130 feet.
‘But in Antarctica, you’re coping with ice, leopard seals, changing seas and sometimes very limited visibility.
‘Every dive have to be rigorously planned to balance getting the work done while keeping everyone secure.’
Scientists say careful planning is important not just for diver safety but in addition to make sure samples are collected and preserved appropriately for laboratory evaluation.
Maintaining the integrity of the specimens is taken into account crucial because even minor changes could affect understanding of how the compounds function.
Now that the expedition has concluded, researchers say crucial phase of the work is starting.
Specimens collected through the mission will likely be analysed by multiple teams specialising in genetics, chemistry and biology.
The method is anticipated to take months, and potentially years, as scientists seek to know the compounds and their possible medical applications.
Professor Baker said: ‘This research is very important each environmentally and medically.
‘We’re learning how organisms use symbiosis to survive in extreme conditions, which remains to be largely unknown in cold-water ecosystems like Antarctica.
‘Understanding the source and performance of this compound is critical if we hope to develop it right into a drug.’
Researchers say discoveries equivalent to these represent the earliest stages of a lengthy scientific process, but could eventually help discover a cure for melanomas, in addition to other complex diseases.
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