<p>Background: Marine organisms provide appreciable source of novel bioactive compounds with pharmacological potential. There is little information in correlation with anti-cancer activities of brittle star. In the present study, anti-neoplastic efficacy of <em>Ophiocoma erinaceus</em> methanol extract against human cervical cancer cells was investigated.<br /> Methods: The HeLa cells were cultured and exposed to brittle star methanol extract for 24 and 48 <em>hr</em>. The anti-proliferative properties were examined by MTT assay and the type of cell death induced was evaluated through morphological changes, flow cytometry, Annexin kit and caspase assay. To assess the anti-metastatic activity, wound healing assay was conducted and photographs were taken from the scratched areas. Further, to understand molecular mechanism of cell apoptosis, the expression of Bax was evaluated.<br /> Results: The morphological analysis and MTT assay exhibited that the brittle star methanol extract can exert dose dependent inhibitory effect on cells viability (IC₅₀, 50 <em>&mu;g/ml</em>). Flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy demonstrated increment of sub-G1 peak, early and late apoptosis in HeLa treated cells. Wound healing migration assay showed that brittle star extract has anti-neoplastic efficacy by inhibiting cell migration. Caspase assay and RT-PCR analysis revealed that brittle star methanol extract induced caspase dependent apoptosis in HeLa cells through up-regulation of caspase-3 followed by up-regulation of Bax gene which is a hallmark of intrinsic pathway recruitment.<br /> Conclusion: These results represented further insights into the chemopreventive potential of brittle star as a valuable source of unknown therapeutic agents against human cervical cancer.</p>