Biologically Active Molecules from Sponges: Bridging Marine Biodiversity and Drug Discovery

Sponges, belonging to the phylum Porifera, represent one of the most ancient lineages of multicellular animals and serve as a treasure trove of marine natural products (MNPs). Over the past decades, sponge-derived compounds have yielded groundbreaking discoveries in pharmaceutical chemistry due to their unique structural diversity and potent biological activities, ranging from cytotoxic, antimicrobial, and antiviral to anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. Recent studies have revealed that many of these metabolites are in fact produced or modified by sponge-associated symbiotic microorganisms, highlighting the intricate ecological and biochemical interactions that underpin marine chemical diversity. Despite these advances, a large portion of the biosynthetic potential in sponges remains untapped, largely due to challenges in culturing symbiotic microbes and the complexity of marine metabolomes.This Research Topic aims to advance the scientific understanding and practical application of bioactive molecules derived from sponges and their symbionts. By integrating marine biology, natural products chemistry, pharmacology, and chemical ecology, this Topic seeks to uncover new chemical scaffolds, elucidate their biosynthetic origins, and evaluate their biological relevance and therapeutic promise. Key questions include how symbiotic interactions influence metabolite production, what novel pathways encode sponge-associated natural products, and how synthetic or semi-synthetic approaches can enhance the pharmacological potential of these compounds. The ultimate goal is to accelerate the translation of sponge-derived molecules into viable drug leads and chemical probes.To gather further insights into sponge-derived bioactive compounds and their biotechnological potential, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Discovery and characterization of novel compounds from sponges and symbionts• Biological activity profiling, including cytotoxicity, antimicrobial, antiviral, and neurological assays• Chemical ecology of sponge-microbe interactions and metabolite production• Synthetic and medicinal chemistry of sponge-derived scaffolds• Biosynthetic pathways and enzymology of marine natural products• Multi-omics approaches (genomics, proteomics, metabolomics) to reveal hidden biosynthetic capacities• Computational and systems biology tools for marine metabolite discovery Topic editors: Lin-Fu Liang, Song-Wei Li Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83668/biologically-active-molecules-from-sponges-bridging-marine-biodiversity-and-drug-discovery