Antitumor effects of sea hare-derived compounds in cancer

Abstract

Sea hares (family Aplysiidae) are a rich source of bioactive substances. Especially, over the past 40 years, the genera Aplysia and Dolabella have afforded numerous bioactive secondary metabolites that exhibit antitumor activity. For example, the depsipeptide dolastatin 10 and its analogue are currently in cancer clinical trials. Meanwhile, the chemical probe approach has revealed that the antitumor macrolide aplyronine A inhibits microtubule assembly in association with actin. This article highlights the recent findings regarding the chemical biology of antitumor and antineoplastic compounds from sea hares, as well as molecules that have been discovered and characterized after 2000.