Find out the 'secret weapon' against pancreatic cancer

Found in the icy dark waters off Alaska, a small green sponge is expected to be the first effective weapon against pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is a form of cancer that is difficult to treat because of aggressive invasive tumors. A group of US scientists on July 26 said that after a long period of research, they found a "weapon" against the disease.

It is a small green sponge named Latrunculia austini that lives in the icy dark waters off Alaska below 70-219m.

Green sponges are found in the waters off Alaska - (Photo: AFP).

Bob Stone, a researcher at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center under the US Oceanic and Meteorological Administration (NOAA), happened to find Latrunculia austini on an Alaska seabed expedition in 2005.

"At first glance, no one thought this sponge could have miracles , " he told AFP.

Mark Hamann, a researcher at the University of South Carolina, said lab tests showed that many molecules in this sponge could selectively destroy pancreatic cancer cells.

"This is undoubtedly the strongest pancreatic molecule we've ever seen , " Hamann said. "Although much work remains to be done, this finding marks the first important step in the discovery and development of a new way of treating cancer," he added.

Pancreatic cancer progresses slowly and is often detected late, meaning that patients have less chance of successful treatment. According to the American Cancer Society, the chances of survival of pancreatic cancer are only 14%.

In the US, it is estimated that in 2017 there are 53,670 new cases of pancreatic cancer detected and more than 43,000 people will die.