Kenneth L. Rinehart, a U. of I. chemistry professor, identified the substance's qualities in 1990. He and Jose Morales, a U. of I. doctoral student, are working on a project in the mangroves of Puerto Rico, where the sea squirts were found, to understand how tunicates make the compound in nature and what steps might work to enhance its production.
Tunicates are sea creatures encased by tough membranes, reminiscent of tunics.
Rinehart will discuss his work Dec. 18 at the International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies in Honolulu, as part of a review of worldwide research involving potential anti-cancer agents taken from marine life. His talk will cover compounds from at least 12 marine invertebrates. After 25 years of research, we have a compound that is poised to enter clinical trials with an aura of excitement about it. The results on mice with cancerous tumors have been dramatic. The National Cancer Institute initially had discovered the extract in the late 1960s but researchers had been unable to isolate its active component.