Because of its inhibitory effects in phosphatases, okadaic acid has shown promise in the world of medicine for numerous potential uses. During its initial discovery, okadaic acid, specifically the crude source extract, showed potent inhibition of cancer cells, and so initial interest in the family of molecules tended to center around that feature.[8][9] However, it was shown that the more cytotoxic component of H. Okadai was actually a separate family of compounds, the Halichondrines, and as such research into the cytotoxicity of okadaic acid decreased.[5] However, the unique function of okadaic acid upon cells maintained biological interest in the molecule. Okadaic acid has been shown to have neurotoxic, immunotoxic, and embryotoxic effects.[3][20] Furthermore, in two-stage carcinogenesis of mouse skin, the molecule and its relatives have been shown to have tumor promoting effects. Because of this, the effects of okadaic acid on Alzheimer's, AIDS, diabetes, and other human diseases have been studied