Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
10.1
5.4
Journals
Marine Drugs
Special Issues
Marine Bioactive Agents with Anticancer Potential: Discovery and Molecular Mechanisms
marinedrugs-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Marine Drugs Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Marine Bioactive Agents with Anticancer Potential: Discovery and Molecular Mechanisms

A special issue of Marine Drugs (ISSN 1660-3397). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Pharmacology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 January 2026 | Viewed by 2652

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Jose Diaz-Chavez

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
Interests: cancer; molecular biology; biomarkers; cancer genomics; chemotherapy resistance; radioresistance; natural compounds; mutant p53; DNA repair

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Therapeutic failure and tumor relapse are key factors in the high mortality rate of cancer, underscoring the urgent need to develop innovative strategies, including new drugs. In this context, marine natural products offer unique chemical compounds that can inspire the design and synthesis of novel anticancer agents. Their evolutionary origin in biological systems confers greater efficiency and specificity in interacting with molecular targets, presenting novel mechanisms of action and the ability to modulate diverse intracellular signaling pathways.

This Special Issue aims to attract papers of original research, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis articles based on, but not limited to, reporting recent evidence and views on highlighting the use of marine natural products as potential anticancer agents, emphasizing the diversity of their molecular targets and mechanistic effects. Submissions employing innovative scientific methods like co-cultures and 3D models are encouraged to better link in vitro and in vivo results. We also welcome investigations into synergistic combinations of marine compounds with current or experimental anticancer agents.

For this Special Issue, we invite academic and industry scientists to submit reviews and original and conceptual research articles highlighting the biological activities of known or novel marine compounds with a potential anticancer activity.

Prof. Dr. Jose Diaz-Chavez
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Marine Drugs is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • anticancer agents
  • marine natural products
  • cancer
  • chemoresistance
  • tumor relapse
  • organoids
  • drug development
  • models in vitro/in vivo
  • co-cultures
  • biological activity

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

14 pages, 3439 KiB  
Article
The Novel Diketopiperazine Derivative, Compound 5-3, Selectively Inhibited the Proliferation of FLT3-ITD Mutant Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Cells
by Shijie Bi, Yating Cao, Shiyuan Fang, Yanyan Chu, Zixuan Zhang, Meng Li, Rilei Yu, Jinbo Yang, Yu Tang and Peiju Qiu
Mar. Drugs 2025, 23(7), 289; https://doi.org/10.3390/md23070289 - 16 Jul 2025
Viewed by 617
Abstract
The internal tandem duplication mutation of FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3-ITD) is associated with high recurrence and mortality rates in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), making it a critical target for anti-AML therapies. Plinabulin is a diketopiperazines derivative that exhibits extensive anti-cancer potency by [...] Read more.
The internal tandem duplication mutation of FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3-ITD) is associated with high recurrence and mortality rates in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), making it a critical target for anti-AML therapies. Plinabulin is a diketopiperazines derivative that exhibits extensive anti-cancer potency by targeting β-tubulin. We designed and synthesized a novel FLT3 inhibitor, namely 5-3, based on the structure of plinabulin and evaluated its effect on FLT3-ITD mutant AML cells. The results indicated that 5-3 potently and selectively inhibits the growth of mutant FLT3-expressingleukemia cells, and had no effect on FLT3 wide-type cancer cells, suggesting the antiproliferative activity of 5-3 depends highly on FLT3-ITD expression. Mechanically, 5-3 significantly suppressed the phosphorylation of FLT3 signaling pathway, including STAT5, Erk and Akt. Moreover, the efficiency of compound 5-3 is not associated with Plinabulin’s typical target, β-tubulin. In conclusion, the study identified diketopiperazine derivative as a novel FLT3-ITD selective inhibitor. These results demonstrated that 5-3 might be a drug candidate for the treatment of FLT3-ITD-positive AML. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Bioactive Agents with Anticancer Potential: Discovery and Molecular Mechanisms)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

26 pages, 1809 KiB  
Review
Salt-Adapted Microorganisms: A Promising Resource for Novel Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery
by Longteng Fang, Liping Xu, Marhaba Kader, Tingting Ding, Shiyang Lu, Dong Wang, Amit Raj Sharma and Zhiwei Zhang
Mar. Drugs 2025, 23(8), 296; https://doi.org/10.3390/md23080296 - 24 Jul 2025
Viewed by 574
Abstract
Microorganisms serve as a vital source of natural anticancer agents, with many of their secondary metabolites already employed in clinical oncology. In recent years, salt-adapted microbes, including halophilic and halotolerant species from marine, salt lake, and other high-salinity environments, have gained significant attention. [...] Read more.
Microorganisms serve as a vital source of natural anticancer agents, with many of their secondary metabolites already employed in clinical oncology. In recent years, salt-adapted microbes, including halophilic and halotolerant species from marine, salt lake, and other high-salinity environments, have gained significant attention. Their unique adaptation mechanisms and diverse secondary metabolites offer promising potential for novel anticancer drug discovery. This review consolidated two decades of research alongside current global cancer statistics to evaluate the therapeutic potential of salt-adapted microorganisms. Halophilic and halotolerant species demonstrate significant promise, with their bioactive metabolites exhibiting potent inhibitory effects against major cancer cell lines, particularly in lung and breast cancer. Evidence reveals structurally unique secondary metabolites displaying enhanced cytotoxicity compared to conventional anticancer drugs. Collectively, salt-adapted microorganisms represent an underexplored yet high-value resource for novel anticancer agents, offering potential solutions to chemotherapy resistance and treatment-related toxicity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Bioactive Agents with Anticancer Potential: Discovery and Molecular Mechanisms)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

40 pages, 2915 KiB  
Review
Marine-Derived Compounds: A New Horizon in Cancer, Renal, and Metabolic Disease Therapeutics
by Jinwei Zhang
Mar. Drugs 2025, 23(7), 283; https://doi.org/10.3390/md23070283 - 9 Jul 2025
Viewed by 1265
Abstract
Marine-derived compounds represent a rich source of structurally diverse molecules with therapeutic potential for cancer, renal disorders, metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), and atherosclerosis. This review systematically evaluates recent advances, highlighting compounds such as Microcolin H, Benzosceptrin C, S14, HN-001, Equisetin, glycosides (e.g., [...] Read more.
Marine-derived compounds represent a rich source of structurally diverse molecules with therapeutic potential for cancer, renal disorders, metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), and atherosclerosis. This review systematically evaluates recent advances, highlighting compounds such as Microcolin H, Benzosceptrin C, S14, HN-001, Equisetin, glycosides (e.g., cucumarioside A2-2), ilimaquinone, and Aplidin (plitidepsin). Key mechanisms include autophagy modulation, immune checkpoint inhibition, anti-inflammatory effects, and mitochondrial homeostasis. Novel findings reveal glycosides’ dual role in cytotoxicity and immunomodulation, ilimaquinone’s induction of the DNA damage response, and Aplidin’s disruption of protein synthesis via eEF1A2 binding. Pharmacokinetic challenges and structure–activity relationships are critically analyzed, emphasizing nanodelivery systems and synthetic analog development. This review bridges mechanistic insights with translational potential, offering a cohesive framework for future drug development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Bioactive Agents with Anticancer Potential: Discovery and Molecular Mechanisms)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop