U. of I. scientists make molecule that picks out, kills cancer cells
Posted on: Thursday, 11 December 2003, 06:00 CST
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign say they have produced a molecule that selectively kills cancerous cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed.
The findings are encouraging but don't mean a new treatment is imminent, said Paul J. Hergenrother, a chemistry professor who directed the study, which was funded by the National Science Foundation.
"It's hard to say where this discovery may fit into the big picture, but the pathway we've found is real," Hergenrother said. "It is very provocative. We now are trying to track down exactly what protein target this compound is binding to in the cancer cells. If we can isolate the protein receptor, we may find a totally new anti-cancer target.
"The next big step," he said, "would be to show that this compound works in an animal model."
The study is described this week in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
It involves a substance the researchers are calling Compound 13- D. In the lab, 13-D was exposed to leukemia and lymphoma cells, as well as healthy white blood cells from rats. It displayed strong cancer-killing effects, Hergenrother said, "almost completely killing the lymphoma and leukemia cells" while showing "virtually no toxicity" toward the non-cancerous cells.
Potentially, the research might also benefit people who have Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, he said.
The university has applied for a patent on the compound, which already is undergoing tests by the National Cancer Institute.
UPI
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