Lacking an immune system, protective shell, or mobility, sponges have developed an ability to synthesize a variety of unusual compounds for survival. C-nucleosides isolated from Caribbean Cryptotethya crypta, were the basis for the synthesis of zidovudine (AZT), aciclovir (Cyclovir), cytarabine (Depocyt), and cytarabine derivative gemcitabine (Gemzar).
| Isolate | Source | Researched activity / Chemical description |
|---|---|---|
| 3-Alkylpyridinium (3-AP) | Haplosclerida | hemolytic and cytotoxic |
| Agosterol A | anticancer | |
| Aplyzanzine A | Aplysina sp. | |
| Avarol | Dysidea avara | antitumor, antimicrobial and antiviral effects |
| Aciculitin | Aciculites ciliate | antifungal cyclic peptide |
| Discodermin | Discodermia kiiensis | antimicrobial tetradecapeptide |
| Dysidenin | Lamellodysidea herbacea | Highly toxic |
| Girolline | Girolline | inhibits protein synthesis |
| Halichondrin B | Halichondria okadai Kadota (Miura Peninsula) | precursor to eribulin (Halaven)[1] |
| Halicylindramide | Halichondria | antifungal peptide |
| Hymenamides | Phakellia fusca | proline-containing cyclopeptide |
| Hymenistatin | Phakellia fusca | bio-active proline-containing cyclopeptide |
| Hyrtinadine A | Hyrtios | bio-active bis-indole alkaloid |
| Manzamines | various sponge species | bio-active β-carbolines |
| Mirabamide | Siliquariaspongia mirabilis | antiviral depsipeptide |
| Neamphamide A | Neamphius huxleyi | antiviral depsipeptide |
| Onnamide A | Theonella swinhoei | cytotoxic, inhibits protein synthesis |
| Peloruside A | Mycale sp. (New Zealand) | cytotoxic / structurally similar to bryostatin |
| Phakellistatins | Phakellia fusca | proline-containing cyclopeptides |
| Phoriospongin | Phoriospongia and Callyspongia bilamellata | nematocidal compound |
| Plakevulin A | Plakortis | DNA polymerase inhibitor |
| Plakoridine A | Plakortis | |
| Polydiscamide B | Ircinia | the first example of a nonendogenous human SNSR (human sensory neuron-specific G protein couple receptor) agonist |
| Ptilomycalin A | Monanchora arbuscula | antifungal spirocyclic guanidine alkaloid / laccase and melanization inhibitor |
| Sceptrin | Agelas conifera | Antibiotic |
| Suberedamine | Suberea | |
| Theonellamide F | Theonella | antimicrobial/antifungal cytotoxic bicyclic dodecapeptide |
| Topsentolides | Topsentia | cytotoxic oxylipins |
| Xestoquinone | Xestospongia | Antimalarial, antifungal, and cytotoxic |
Semisynthetic analogs of the sponge isolate jasplakinolide, were submitted to National Cancer Institute’s Biological Evaluation Committee in 2011.
Other marine isolates
Trabectedin, aplidine, didemnin, were isolated from sea squirts. Monomethyl auristatin E is a derivative of a dolastatin 10, a compound made by Dolabella auricularia. Bryostatins were first isolated from Bryozoa.
Salinosporamides are derived from Salinispora tropica. Ziconotide is derived from the sea snail Conus magus.