Marine Compounds for Melanoma Treatment and Prevention

Abstract

Melanoma is considered a multifactorial disease etiologically divided into melanomas related to sun exposure and those that are not, but also based on their mutational signatures, anatomic site, and epidemiology. The incidence of melanoma skin cancer has been increasing over the past decades with 132,000 cases occurring globally each year. Marine organisms have been shown to be an excellent source of natural compounds with possible bioactivities for human health applications. In this review, we report marine compounds from micro- and macro-organisms with activities in vitro and in vivo against melanoma, including the compound Marizomib, isolated from a marine bacterium, currently in phase III clinical trials for melanoma. When available, we also report active concentrations, cellular targets and mechanisms of action of the mentioned molecules. In addition, compounds used for UV protection and melanoma prevention from marine sources are discussed. This paper gives an overview of promising marine molecules which can be studied more deeply before clinical trials in the near future.

MariClus: Your One-Stop Platform for Information on Marine Natural Products, Their Gene Clusters and Producing Organisms

“…MariClus, therefore, links the predicted compounds produced by marine species to their PubChem page where additional information concerning biochemical pathways, assays, studies and patents can be found. For example, the marine natural product salinosporamide A was discovered in 2003 from marine Salinispora species and has since been commercialized as the proteasome-inhibiting anticancer drug Marizomib [ 36 , 37 ]. Consequently, many papers and patent applications have been published.…”

Ircinia ramosa Sponge Extract (iSP) Induces Apoptosis in Human Melanoma Cells and Inhibits Melanoma Cell Migration and Invasiveness

“…The marine world represents an endless and varied source of new drugs that can be used to target different diseases, including cancer, immune-and inflammatory-based diseases [7,36]. Multiple data reported that marine compounds from micro-and macro-organisms showed promising in vitro and in vivo activities against melanoma [37]. Among these, Salinosporamide A (under the commercial name of Marizomib), a marine bacterium of the genus Salinospora, has been demonstrated to impair cells growth in multiple human melanoma cell lines at different aggressive stages [38].…”