Octopus Ink: The Unexpected Ally in Our Fight Against Cancer
If the superhero world taught us anything, it's that sometimes help comes from the most unexpected places.
So buckle up for this science-fueled ride, where our new ally in the fight against cancer is none other than... an octopus! Yes, you read that right. A common marine creature could hold the key to revolutionize cancer treatments.
A team led by Martín Samuel Hernández-Zazueta at the University of Sonora in Mexico recently discovered that ozopromide (OPC), a compound found in the ink sac of common octopuses (Octopus vulgaris), possesses intriguing anti-cancer properties. The researchers managed to artificially create this compound in the lab, taking us one giant step closer to bringing this innovative approach to cancer treatment to life.
Upon injecting this superhero molecule into human breast, cervix, prostate, and lung cancer cells, they found that OPC was able to induce the death of a significant portion of these malignant cells. Impressively, up to 50% decrease in cancer growth was observed in lung cells, all while leaving healthy cells unaffected. As if this wasn't enough, OPC showed another superpower: reducing inflammation, a common and unwanted side effect of many current cancer treatments.
