Detecting 'executioners' of cancer cells

Scientists have developed a way of " executing " cancer cells. Healthy cells have a coherent process, which means they die on their own if they have problems at some stage, but this process does not happen on cancer cells.

(Photo: futura-sciences.com)

The University of Illinois team has created a synthetic molecule that can cause cancer cells to kill themselves.

Cancer experts said the study was published in a scientific journal called Nature Chemical Biology, which paved the way for new cancer treatments.

One of the typical features of cancer cells is their ability to resist the body's self-destruct signals, so they can survive and develop into tumors.

All cells contain a protein called procaspase-3 that the body has the ability to convert this protein into caspase-3, an enzyme responsible for " executing " cancer cells.

But this metabolism does not occur on cancer cells although it is paradoxical that cancer cells such as colon cancer, leukemia, skin cancer and liver cancer have a high level of procaspase-3 protein. .

Healthy cells: unaffected

Scientists studied the structure of more than 20,000 different synthetic compounds to see if any compound could convert procaspase-3 protein into caspase-3.

And they discovered that PAC-1 molecule is able to activate this metabolism; and thanks to the ability of PAC-1 to metabolize cancer cells in mice as well as those of human tumors that have killed them - this process is called apoptosis (Greek apopiptein means falling shed).

And the more cancer cells that contain the protein procaspase-3, the less PAC-1 molecules needed.

Healthy cells such as white blood cells have been found to be significantly less affected by PAC-1 molecules because they have very little procaspase-3 protein and so their self-death process hasn't takes place.

When scientists experimented with PAC-1 molecules on cancerous and non-cancerous tissues of the same person, cells on the tumor with PAC-1 reactive cancer were 2000 times more sensitive. compared with cells on healthy tissue.

Because procaspase-3 protein levels are different in cell lines studied, scientists believe that some patients using this treatment will be more effective than some other patients and so may be one. someday we will have different treatments suitable for each patient.

"Interestingly"

Professor Paul Hergenrother, who led the study, said: "This is the first compound in a large number of compounds that can potentially activate enzymes ' executioners ' directly.

"It is predictable that treatment using compounds such as PAC-1 may be highly effective and patients can choose their own treatment based on procaspase protein levels - 3 are in their cancer cells. "

Expert of Cancer Research UK (Cancer Research UK), Dr. Michael Olson, who is currently working for the Glasgow Beatson Cancer Research Institute, said: "These findings outline a cure plan. New and exciting disease for treating some types of cancer. "

"But after a while, it is known whether there are any types of tumors that continuously have higher levels of procaspase-3 protein and if so, what kind of tumor will it be. And then we will know. How many patients can benefit from this drug. "

"There is also a need for additional medical tests to test whether procaspase-3 protein causes any adverse effects for humans."

Cancer cells continue to divide because the process of self-death of cancer cells does not occur.