Starfish as a new source for kinase modulators – STARSKI

Along French coasts, two species of starfish, Asterias rubens and Marthasterias glacialis, are abundant and cause imbalance in ecosystems as well as economic systems. Large numbers of starfish are incidentally caught by professionals resulting in a substantial, yet unused biomass that needs to be treated as waste. Echinoderms synthesise many active metabolites and application prospects for this biomass are numerous. Our previous work has shown promising results: development of an eco-extraction process, significant prospects in the fields of plant fitness and animal health and welfare and presence of specific and potent inhibitors of human disease-related protein-kinases. Kinases also play a key role in animal welfare and plant fitness and, these results, combined with the prospect of creating a supply chain that will generate large quantities of extracts, have inspired this project. STARSKI is a collaborative effort to investigate the potential of starfish metabolites through development of novel fractions, comprehensive screenings of kinases and cell lines, as well as the identification and purification of active metabolites. It will combine the expertise of five partners over a duration of four years. Marine experts will harvest the waste material and will fractionate it together with an experienced industrial partner. Fractions will then be characterised and their bioactivity assessed, with potential applications in human health, plant fitness and animal health and welfare. Bioactive compounds will be identified, isolated and purified by experts in identification of marine natural products as therapeutics. STARSKI will therefore examine new high added-value applications to strengthen a value chain based on the transformation of a new marine bioresource. It involves the biorefinery of this resource in an integrated approach that will be compatible with the industrial applications already envisaged for the value chain.