Scientists have demonstrated a creative new way to kill cancer cells effectively, with few side effects. Gluing two particular proteins together tricks the tumors into destroying themselves. Cells in our bodies naturally die off in a process called apoptosis, to be replaced by others.
But when something goes wrong with that process, some cells can continue growing out of control – a condition we know as cancer. Certain genes have the potential to mutate into , which are a major driver of cancer. Often, these oncogenes are related to cell proliferation and disposal, so affected cells can evade apoptosis.
Understandably, oncogenes and the proteins they encode are a common target for cancer treatments, but the new study, from researchers at Stanford, tackles the problem from a different angle. “Since oncogenes were discovered, people have been trying to shut them down in cancer,” said Roman Sarott, co-first author on the study. “Instead, we’re trying to use them to turn signaling on that, we hope, will prove beneficial for treatment.
” The Stanford team targeted an oncogene protein called BCL6, which is implicated in diffuse large cell B-cell lymphoma. Mutated BCL6 will sit on DNA right near specific genes that promote apoptosis, keeping them switched off so the cancer cells can continue to grow and divide unchecked. To counter this, the scientists developed a kind of molecular glue that binds BCL6 to another protein, .
This one activates genes, and in this case it sw.
