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©2011 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Oncol. Nov 10, 2011; 2(11): 362-366
Published online Nov 10, 2011. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v2.i11.362
Published online Nov 10, 2011. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v2.i11.362
Bioactive substances with anti-neoplastic efficacy from marine invertebrates: Bryozoa, Mollusca, Echinodermata and Urochordata
Peter Sima, Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, 142 20 Prague 15400, Czech Republic
Vaclav Vetvicka, Department of Pathology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, United States
Author contributions: Both authors contributed equally.
Correspondence to: Vaclav Vetvicka, PhD, Professor, Department of Pathology, University of Louisville, 611 S. Floyd Street, Louisville, KY 40292, United States. vaclav.vetvicka@louisville.edu
Telephone: +1-502-852-1612 Fax: +1-502-852-1177
Received: July 13, 2011
Revised: October 10, 2011
Accepted: October 17, 2011
Published online: November 10, 2011
Revised: October 10, 2011
Accepted: October 17, 2011
Published online: November 10, 2011
Abstract
The marine environment provides a rich source of natural products with potential therapeutic application. This has resulted in an increased rate of pharmaceutical agents being discovered in marine animals, particularly invertebrates. Our objective is to summarize the most promising compounds which have the best potential and may lead to use in clinical practice, show their biological activities and highlight the compounds currently being tested in clinical trials. In this paper, we focused on Bryozoa, Mollusca, Echinodermata and Urochordata.
Keywords: Cancer, Echinodermata, Invertebrates, Mollusca, Urochordata