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Image shows the newly-identified proteasome inhibitor Syringolin A (SylA) bound to the proteasome by a novel mechanism. Reprinted by permission from Macmillan Publishers Ltd: Nature (452: 755-758) copyright 2008.
New Anti-Cancer Agent
Manoa Assistant Professor André S. Bachmann, in collaboration with an international team of scientists worked out the structure and functional mechanism of a plant bacterium-produced molecule that may curb the growth of cancer cells. The discovery was part of the study “A Plant Pathogen Virulence Factor Inhibits the Eukaryotic Proteasome By a Novel Mechanism,” published in the April 10 issue of Nature.
The study found that a molecule called Syringolin A inhibits the proteasome, which is a large cellular “machine” that biodegrades regulatory proteins necessary for proper cell growth, reproduction and cell death in animals, plants and microorganisms.
While proteasomes are abundant in normal cells, they can facilitate the cancerous state since cancer cells divide more rapidly and have undergone disruptions in their normal growth behavior.
Consequently, cancer cells are more sensitive to effects of proteasome inhibitors, and adjusted drug dosages will protect normal cells while killing cancer cells. This specificity for cancer cells gives this new and unique type of agent a distinct advantage over other types of cancer drugs and promises reduced side effects during patient treatment.