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Compound found in octopus ink kills cancer cells but not others

Ozopromide, which is found in octopus ink, could kill cancer cells but leave healthy ones intact. The finding could be used to develop new cancer treatments

By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry

3 June 2023

A compound found in octopus ink has anti-cancer properties

A compound found in octopus ink has anti-cancer properties

BIOSPHOTO/Alamy

A compound found inside octopus ink has been created artificially in the lab and used to kill cancer cells. The development could eventually lead to new cancer treatments.

Martín Samuel Hernández-Zazueta at the University of Sonora in Mexico and his colleagues had previously identified a compound called ozopromide (OPC) that is found in the ink sac of common octopuses (Octopus vulgaris) as one of interest for its anti-cancer properties.

The researchers used a series of standard chemical reactions that allowed …

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