Scientists involved in a new study conducted by the US Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have now found yet another way to outwit disease, discovering a new technique to disarm a cancer protein that was previously proved to be ‘undruggable.’

‘The researchers, experimenting on mice, created chemical “staples” to mold snippets of protein into shapes capable of disrupting the protein’s function. The protein is linked to runaway cell growth in leukemia and other cancers, but it was disarmed by the stapled peptides in tests, and tumors receded.’

The breakthrough method, over the long haul, may open possibilities in the development of alternative drugs and better treatment therapies.

According to cancer research expert Greg Verdine, “The new chemical has only been tested in mice so far, and so we don’t know how it will behave in humans. But, long-term, it may lead to Stapled peptides promise to significantly expand the range of what’s considered ‘druggable’.”

‘The protein is one of the body’s transcription factors, which turn genes on or off and set in motion genetic cascades that control how cells grow and develop. They also help fuel the growth of tumours. The transcription factor targeted in the latest study is a protein called Notch.’

The researchers examined closely the structure of Notch, and subsequently ‘isolated a potential weak spot in its structure.’ They, then, ‘employed a state-of-the-art technique using chemical braces to mould protein snippets called peptides into specific three dimensional shapes. These “stapled” peptides are readily absorbed by cells, and are so tiny they can be deployed to alter gene regulation at specific sites.’

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Via Science Daily