Protein forces 'malignant cell suicide'
Scientists want to probe the cell suicide process further
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Thursday, 23, Oct 2008 07:44
Scientists have identified a protein which could force cancer and other malignant cells to "commit suicide".
Research published in the Nature journal by US biologists believe their work may lead to the creation of designer drugs which kill malignant cells by triggering their self-destruct mechanism.
They identified a previously undetected trigger point on a 'death protein' known as BAX which, when activated, pokes holes in cells' power plants, the mitochondria.
This process is known as programmed cell death and is known as apoptosis. By fashioning a peptide, or protein subunit, to precisely match the shape of the newly-found trigger site on the killer protein, scientists now believe it is possible to trigger this process.
More study needs to be undertaken to assess how the peptide interacts with the protein as this "hit-and-run" process occurs too quickly for clear study of the phenomenon.
Lorna Walensky, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, suggested her study's findings could have a wide-ranging impact on the pharmaceutical industry.
"Because BAX lies at the crossroads of the cell's decision to live or die, drugs that directly activate BAX could kill diseased cells like in cancer and BAX-blocking drugs could potentially prevent unwanted cell death, such as in heart attack, stroke, and neurodegeneration," she said.