How venom from the magnificent sea anemone, Heteractis magnifica, kills breast and lung cancer cells

The sea anemone Heteractis magnifica, also known as the “magnificent one”, is a friendly host to anemonefish. However, it has venom which acts as a chemical defence against predators that helps it to acquire prey in the marine environment. Heteractis magnifica produces venom with multiple biological activities. We have shown killing activity against human lung and breast cancer cells that was concentration-dependent (5-40 µg/ml). The mechanism of cancer cell killing by the venom was also uncovered. Apoptosis (programmed cell death) resistance is a hallmark of cancer. Heteractis magnifica venom induces apoptosis in human lung and breast cancer cell lines. Apoptosis occurs via two pathways and the investigation of these pathways has been discovered. Another hallmark of cancer is cell cycle deregulation, and H. magnifica venom was shown to modulate cell cycle progression in the cancer cell lines mentioned above. Thus the types and levels of breast and lung cancer cell killing by venom from the “Magnificent” sea anemone is explored as well as the mechanistic pathways underlying those effects.