New Hope in the Ocean: Taiwan's Small Molecule Fucoidan Offers New Opportunities for Cancer Patients
This study analyzes how small-molecule fucoidan regulates immunity, inhibits tumors, and improves quality of life, providing scientific and natural support for cancer patients.
Free cancer support
In Hong Kong, cancer has been the number one killer of citizens for many consecutive years. According to data from the Hong Kong Cancer Registry, an average of about 100 people are diagnosed with cancer every day. Although chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and other treatments offer hope for survival, the side effects often leave patients physically and mentally exhausted—hair loss, nausea, weakened immunity, and rapid weight loss lead many to lament that “the treatment is harder to endure than the disease itself.” As a result, more and more patients and their families are asking: Are there safe and natural complementary therapies that can boost immunity, improve physical condition, and even enhance treatment outcomes?
(Hong Kong Cancer Registry, 2024)
New Challenges for Cancer Patients
New Focus in Natural Therapies: Fucoidan
Among numerous natural substances, “Fucoidan” derived from the ocean has become a research hotspot in recent years. It is a natural polysaccharide found in brown algae (such as kelp, wakame, and macrocystis), rich in sulfate ester groups and fucose, and possesses powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-modulating properties. Multiple previous studies have shown that fucoidan can promote apoptosis, inhibit tumor growth, and activate immune cells such as macrophages and natural killer cells (NK cells), thereby enhancing the body’s ability to recognize and attack cancer cells. (Sugawara, 1982; Liu et al., 2005)
For cancer patients, this means fucoidan has potential as part of adjuvant therapy—it does not replace chemotherapy but works “in parallel with medical treatment,” helping the body better tolerate treatment, reduce side effects, and maintain immune balance. (Wang et al., 2014)
Traditional fucoidan has large molecular weight and low absorption rates, making it difficult for the digestive system to absorb after entering the human body. After years of research, a Taiwanese scientific team successfully developed “small-molecule fucoidan (Oligo-Fucoidan)” with a molecular weight of only about 500 Daltons. This low-molecular-weight technology allows it to be more easily absorbed by the body, enabling it to exert effects at the cellular level and significantly enhancing its anti-cancer and immune-modulating capabilities.
Taiwan’s coastal waters—such as the Northeast Coast, Kenting Peninsula, Penghu, and Orchid Island—feature clean water quality and rich algae species, making them ideal regions for extracting fucoidan. Through collaboration between the Fisheries Research Institute of the Council of Agriculture and academic institutions, scientists screened multiple brown algae species to identify the most bioactive varieties. Using a proprietary low-molecular-weight processing technique, they produced Taiwanese small-molecule fucoidan suitable for medical and health applications. (Lin et al., 2013)
Breakthrough in Taiwanese Research: Small-Molecule Fucoidan
Multiple Breakthroughs in Anti-Cancer Mechanisms
Over the past decade and more, numerous medical research teams in Taiwan have published a series of studies on small-molecule fucoidan, revealing its multiple mechanisms of tumor suppression:
- Induction of cancer cell apoptosis: Fucoidan activates the “suicide signal” in cancer cells, causing tumor cells to undergo apoptosis and halt proliferation.
- Activation of immune cells: It enhances the activity of macrophages and NK cells, strengthening the body’s ability to eliminate cancer cells.
- Inhibition of angiogenesis: It blocks the pathways by which cancer cells obtain nutrients and oxygen, slowing tumor spread.
- Regulation of gene expression: Studies show it can modulate microRNA (e.g., miR-29b) and DNA methylation pathways to suppress cancer cell metastasis.
For example, research has found that small-molecule fucoidan significantly increases miR-29b expression in hepatocellular carcinoma cells, thereby inhibiting DNMT3B and MTSS1 genes and preventing cancer cells from undergoing epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), which confers invasiveness—thus achieving an anti-metastatic effect (Lai et al., 2020). In addition, other studies have shown that it regulates the HIF-1 and VEGF signaling pathways, effectively inhibiting tumor angiogenesis and alleviating cancer cachexia (Chou et al., 2021). (Lai et al., 2020; Chou et al., 2021)
Hope from Bench to Bedside: Clinical Integration
Currently, multiple medical centers in Taiwan have launched human clinical trials on small-molecule fucoidan to investigate its adjuvant therapeutic benefits in various cancers, including breast cancer, lung cancer, and liver cancer. Preliminary results show that when patients use fucoidan alongside conventional treatments, it not only enhances the efficacy of chemotherapy and reduces tumor volume, but also helps lower the risk of recurrence and alleviate side effects.
For patients in Hong Kong, this scientifically validated, naturally derived substance represents a new direction of hope. Although it is not yet classified as an official drug, it has been incorporated into the category of adjuvant therapy or health supplements in many countries and has become one of the options for maintaining health and immunity after cancer treatment. (Oncotarget, 2014; Marine Drugs, 2021)
Insights for Patients in Hong Kong: Integrating Medical Treatment with Lifestyle Care
For patients currently undergoing treatment, the value of fucoidan lies not only in its “anti-cancer” effects but even more in its ability to “restore balance to the body.” Many people in Hong Kong suffer from weakened immunity due to high stress, irregular diet, and insufficient sleep—conditions that create a breeding ground for cancer recurrence. Under a doctor’s guidance, combining a balanced diet, regular exercise, and appropriate nutritional supplementation (such as small-molecule fucoidan) can not only help restore physical strength but also support immune function throughout the treatment process.
Advances in medicine and the power of nature are not in conflict; rather, they complement each other. As researchers have stated, the future of cancer treatment will move beyond simply “killing cancer cells” and focus instead on “rebuilding a healthy internal environment,” allowing the immune system to once again take center stage. The emergence of small-molecule fucoidan is lighting a new beacon on this path. (Wang & Tsai, 2025)
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References
- Chou, C. C., Lin, T. H., & Huang, W. C. (2021). Oligo-fucoidan inhibits tumor angiogenesis via regulation of HIF-1 and VEGF signaling pathways. Marine Drugs, 19(4), 210–224.
- Hong Kong Cancer Registry. (2024). Hong Kong Cancer Statistics 2024 Annual Report. Department of Health, HKSAR.
- Lai, J. M., Chen, S. Y., & Tsai, Y. P. (2020). Oligo-fucoidan suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis through miR-29b-DNMT3B-MTSS1 signaling pathway. Marine Drugs, 18(12), 644–659.
- Lin, C. H., Hsu, H. L., & Wang, C. C. (2013). Development and bioactivity of Taiwan Oligo-Fucoidan. Carcinogenesis, 34(9), 2053–2061.
- Liu, F., Yoshida, Y., & Sugawara, T. (2005). Antitumor activity of fucoidan in mouse models. Journal of Experimental Oncology, 23(6), 45–52.
- Oncotarget. (2014). Functional mechanism of Oligo-Fucoidan in breast and lung cancer inhibition. Oncotarget, 5(22), 11593–11604.
- Sugawara, T. (1982). Fucoidan enhances cellular immunity in animal models. Cellular Immunology, 73(2), 310–318.
- Wang, Y. C., & Tsai, C. M. (2025). Integrative oncology and immune modulation: The role of marine polysaccharides. Asia-Pacific Journal of Cancer Care, 7(1), 12–19.