Marine eukaryotic microalgae are very important components of the phytoplankton and can adapt to multiple ecological niches and physicochemical conditions. A molecular toolkit allows them to adapt to the different conditions offered by the sea. Some metabolites that are part of this molecular toolkit have been identified as having potential pharmaceutical applications.
Previous works have shown ceramide as a natural compound able to inhibit telomerase activity. We found that Amphidinium carterae, a dinoflagellate, might be producing ceramide by exploring the relative pathway gene expression along the algae growth curve.
Glioblastoma is an aggressive type of neuronal cancer with a low survival rate. Some factors that might affect its development are the presence of cells with signs of EMT and enhanced telomerase activity. Based on this evidence, in this project, we obtained chemical extracts of Amphidinium carterae and of Thalassiosira rotula, a diatom, to study their potential anti-EMT and Telomerase activity against glioblastoma. We found that the algae extracts have cytotoxic activity against glioblastoma (T98G) cells and stop the EMT mechanism.
This study sets the bases to find a marine microalgae-derived natural compound that could potentially target epithelial-mesenchymal transition and/or telomerase activity.
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