3B's Research Group, I3Bs-Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, Barco, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal.
ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, 4710-057 Guimarães, Portugal.
Mar Drugs. 2022 Nov 1;20(11):689. doi: 10.3390/md20110689.
Despite its low prevalence, pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the deadliest, typically characterised as silent in early stages and with a dramatically poor prognosis when in its advanced stages, commonly associated with a high degree of metastasis. Many efforts have been made in pursuing innovative therapeutical approaches, from the search for new cytotoxic drugs and other bioactive compounds, to the development of more targeted approaches, including improved drug delivery devices. Marine biotechnology has been contributing to this quest by providing new chemical leads and materials originating from different organisms. In this review, marine biodiscovery for PC is addressed, particularly regarding marine invertebrates (namely sponges, molluscs, and bryozoans), seaweeds, fungi, and bacteria. In addition, the development of biomaterials based on marine-originating compounds, particularly chitosan, fucoidan, and alginate, for the production of advanced cancer therapies, is also discussed. The key role that drug delivery can play in new cancer treatments is highlighted, as therapeutical outcomes need to be improved to give further hope to patients.
尽管胰腺癌（PC）的发病率较低，但却是最致命的癌症之一，其特征通常为早期无症状，晚期阶段预后极差，且普遍伴有高度转移。人们一直在努力探索创新的治疗方法，从寻找新的细胞毒性药物和其他生物活性化合物，到开发更具针对性的方法，包括改进药物输送装置。海洋生物技术通过提供源自不同生物体的新化学线索和材料，为这一探索做出了贡献。在本文中，探讨了海洋生物资源在 PC 方面的发现，特别是海洋无脊椎动物（即海绵、软体动物和苔藓动物）、海藻、真菌和细菌。此外，还讨论了基于海洋来源化合物（特别是壳聚糖、褐藻胶和藻酸盐）开发生物材料，用于生产先进的癌症治疗方法。强调了药物输送在新型癌症治疗中的关键作用，因为需要改善治疗效果，为患者带来更多希望。
