Anticancer agents from marine organisms

The study of marine organisms as sources of anticancer agents only began in the late 1960s, and Yondelis , the first marine-derived clinical agent has recently been recommended for approval for treatment of soft tissue sarcoma by the EMEA. This section will cover this compound and two additional marine-derived agents which are in advanced clinical trials. 

As in the case of microbially derived anticancer agents (Section IV.E.2.), interested readers can consult the information on podophyllotoxin and derivatives, the vinca alkaloids and derivatives, and camptothecin and derivatives in the recent volnme edited by the anthors of this chapter. 

CHAPTER 8 Natural Products as Pharmaceuticals and Sources for Lead Structures 

FIGURE 8.14 Ecteinascidin 743 (Yondelis ) and its semi-synthetic precursor. 

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Fenical W, Jensen PR, Kauffman C, et al. New anticancer agents from cultured and collected marine organisms. Pharm Biol 2003 41 (Suppl) 6-1 4. 

Terpene hydroquinones which are well known as constituents of other marine organisms have been isolated from the ascidian Aplidium constellatum, (750). These compounds demonstrated activity as anticancer agents. In the case of A. constellatum, 2-methyl-2-(4-methylpent-3-enyl)-2/f-chromen-6-ol could be identified. Five new carotenoids have been obtained from tunicates, halocynthiaxanthin (1067) (751) and mytiloxanthinone (1068) (752) from Halocynthia roretzi, sidnyax-anthin (1069) from Sidnyum argus (755) and amarouciaxanthin A (1070) and B (1071) from Amaroucium pliciferum (733a). Halocynthia aurantium furnished two known carotenoids, astaxanthin and diatoxan-... 

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