A team of US scientists has discovered that a type of soft coral commonly found off the Florida coast produces a chemical that is said to have anti-cancer properties.

Research published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology, They note that producing this compound, eleucerobine, in the lab is a step forward one day.

The component was first discovered in the 1990s by a group of marine scientists who found it in a rare coral off the coast of Australia. Preliminary experiments showed that eleucerobine, used by the coral as a defense against predators, inhibited the growth of cancer cells.

Experts point out that for years, efforts have been made in vain to find sufficient sources of chemicals to permit the development of drugs, and that it is impossible to recreate them in the laboratory without knowing how they are synthesized in nature.

After researchers led by Eric Schmidt determined its presence in these soft corals, they were able to identify the genetic code they used to synthesize it.

After following these instructions, they were able to take the first steps to reconstitute the compound in the lab. If it can be produced in higher quantities, they say, more extensive testing could eventually be done to confirm its effectiveness against cancer.

Researchers claim that eleucerobine has advantages over other compounds found in animals for use in medicine.

The first is that the coral chemical is ingested and therefore more digestible, unlike the toxic chemicals that some species inject.

If this were medicine, it could be given by pill rather than injection and would be easier to digest.

“These compounds are harder to find, but easier to make in the lab and easier to take as medicine,” says Schmidt.

The authors argue that corals contain many other compounds that can act as anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, and other agents, and that the method used on this occasion may eventually be the benchmark for developing them in the lab.