About this Research Topic
Cytotoxic drugs from marine organisms have gained significant attention in cancer research due to their unique chemical structures and potential to combat drug-resistant tumors. The world's oceans are teeming with an incredible diversity of life, including an array of marine plants, animals, and microorganisms. These organisms developed unique chemical defense mechanisms to survive in their harsh environments, and some of these bioactive compounds exhibited cytotoxic properties. Researchers observed that marine organisms, such as sponges, soft corals, tunicates, and algae, produced secondary metabolites with significant bioactivity against cancer cells. Cytotoxic drugs derived from marine organisms work by interfering with the growth and proliferation of cancer cells, inducing apoptosis, or disrupting essential cellular processes within cancer cells. They often have specific targets or receptors present on cancer cells, making them more selective and potentially less harmful to healthy cells.
Finding new cytotoxic drugs from marine organisms presents several challenges, which can make the process complex and time-consuming. Exploring the oceans and collecting samples from different habitats require specialized equipment, expertise, and funding. Bioactive compounds produced by marine organisms occur in very low concentrations, which makes their extraction, isolation, and purification difficult. Some promising marine organisms might inhabit protected or remote areas, making it challenging to access them for research purposes. Additionally, issues related to international regulations and restrictions on biodiversity access can hinder the exploration of certain regions. The chemical structures of marine-derived compounds are highly complex and challenging to synthesize artificially. This complexity poses difficulties in reproducing the natural compounds in the lab for further testing and development into potential drugs. While cytotoxic drugs are intended to specifically target cancer cells , there is a risk of unintended toxic effects on healthy cells. Achieving a high level of selectivity for cancer cells while sparing normal cells is a significant challenge in drug development. Cancer cells can develop resistance to cytotoxic drugs over time, leading to reduced effectiveness. Researchers need to find compounds that not only exhibit potent cytotoxic activity but also have mechanisms to overcome drug resistance.
In this special topic we focus on the most recent findings in the field of discovering cytotoxic agents from marine organisms. In this Research Topic we invite researchers to submit original work or review papers on, but not limited to, the following topics:
• Isolation and identification of cytotoxic agents from marine organisms.
• In vitro and in vivo studies on the cytotoxic activity of marine secondary metabolites.
• Identification of mechanisms of action of marine secondary metabolites.
• Biotechnological applications to produce cytotoxic agents from marine organisms.
• Applications of new isolation techniques for the extraction of cytotoxic agents from marine organisms.
• Applications of new spectroscopic techniques for the structure elucidation of cytotoxic agent from marine organisms.
• Corrections of structural education of complex cytotoxic agents from marine organisms.
• Applications of modern genetic techniques for the correct identification of marine sources of cytotoxic agents.
• Preclinical and clinical trials of cytotoxic agents from marine organisms.
Finding new cytotoxic drugs from marine organisms presents several challenges, which can make the process complex and time-consuming. Exploring the oceans and collecting samples from different habitats require specialized equipment, expertise, and funding. Bioactive compounds produced by marine organisms occur in very low concentrations, which makes their extraction, isolation, and purification difficult. Some promising marine organisms might inhabit protected or remote areas, making it challenging to access them for research purposes. Additionally, issues related to international regulations and restrictions on biodiversity access can hinder the exploration of certain regions. The chemical structures of marine-derived compounds are highly complex and challenging to synthesize artificially. This complexity poses difficulties in reproducing the natural compounds in the lab for further testing and development into potential drugs. While cytotoxic drugs are intended to specifically target cancer cells , there is a risk of unintended toxic effects on healthy cells. Achieving a high level of selectivity for cancer cells while sparing normal cells is a significant challenge in drug development. Cancer cells can develop resistance to cytotoxic drugs over time, leading to reduced effectiveness. Researchers need to find compounds that not only exhibit potent cytotoxic activity but also have mechanisms to overcome drug resistance.
In this special topic we focus on the most recent findings in the field of discovering cytotoxic agents from marine organisms. In this Research Topic we invite researchers to submit original work or review papers on, but not limited to, the following topics:
• Isolation and identification of cytotoxic agents from marine organisms.
• In vitro and in vivo studies on the cytotoxic activity of marine secondary metabolites.
• Identification of mechanisms of action of marine secondary metabolites.
• Biotechnological applications to produce cytotoxic agents from marine organisms.
• Applications of new isolation techniques for the extraction of cytotoxic agents from marine organisms.
• Applications of new spectroscopic techniques for the structure elucidation of cytotoxic agent from marine organisms.
• Corrections of structural education of complex cytotoxic agents from marine organisms.
• Applications of modern genetic techniques for the correct identification of marine sources of cytotoxic agents.
• Preclinical and clinical trials of cytotoxic agents from marine organisms.
Keywords: Natural Products, Cytotoxic Compunds, Secondary Metabolites, Marine, Marine Organisms, Cancer, Oncology, Spectroscopic Techniques, Genetic Techniques, Drug Discovery, Drug Resistance
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
