
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 |
| 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)[dead link] |
| 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.
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.