Scientists Found a Sea Sponge That Can Fight Cancer

A common sea sponge known as Acanthostrongylophora ingens has been found by scientists in Indonesia. The sponge contains manzamine A, a chemical that successfully tackled cervical cancer when it was tested in a lab. Scientists believe that it could be used to fight other types of cancer and infectious diseases as well.

If Indonesia could produce the sea sponge at scale, coastal communities and the national economy could benefit immensely from it. The sponge also has the ability to protect the environment as it has a high tolerance of poor-quality water. Thus, by cultivating it, Indonesia could purify contaminated water, buffer reefs from pollution and enhance the marine ecosystem.