Medical Uses
Tunicates contain a host of potentially useful chemical compounds, including:
- Didemnins, effective against various types of cancer, as antivirals and immunosuppressants
- Aplidine, effective against various types of cancer
- Trabectedin, effective against various types of cancer
In the May 2007 issue of The FASEB Journal, researchers from Stanford University showed that tunicates can correct abnormalities over a series of generations, and they suggest that a similar regenerative process may be possible for humans. The mechanisms underlying the phenomenon may lead to insights about the potential of cells and tissues to be reprogrammed and regenerate compromised human organs. Gerald Weissman, editor-in-chief of the journal, said "This study is a landmark in regenerative medicine; the Stanford group has accomplished the biological equivalent of turning a sow's ear into a silk purse and back again."
Read more about this topic: Tunicate
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