Secondary metabolites with new medicinal functions from marine organisms.

We have focused on the identification of natural key compounds that possess biologically and medicinally intriguing functions. Some of bioactive naturally occurring compounds isolated from marine organisms were found to possess unique biological activities. Halichlorine from the marine sponge Halichondria okadai was shown to inhibit the activity of nuclear factor-κB in endothelial cells and block L-type Ca²⁺ channels. Thus, it may have therapeutic potentials for diseases such as atherosclerosis and hypertension.