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Bacteria May Be Used to Make Cancer Drugs

Posted on: Tuesday, 31 October 2006, 18:00 CST

British scientists are considering using bacteria to make anti-cancer drugs that are difficult to create synthetically in a lab.

The University of Warwick researchers say the bacterium Streptomyces coelicolor naturally produces antibiotics called prodiginines, which can target and kill cancer cells.

A synthetic prodiginine analogue called GX15-070 is currently in phase 1 and 2 cancer treatment trials. However, analogues of other prodiginines, such as streptorubin B, could be even more powerful anti-cancer tools, but they cannot currently be easily produced synthetically on a lab bench, the scientists said.

Professor Greg Challis and colleagues believe by manipulation of the enzyme content of the bacteria, they could produce a range of different compounds based closely on the form of streptorubin B normally formed by the bacteria.

Some of those analogues might provide the basis for developing new anti cancer drugs.

This approach combines the strengths of conventional organic synthesis, with the synthetic power of biology, to assemble complex and synthetically difficult structures, said Challis. It could be particularly valuable for generating analogues of streptorubin B with all the promise that holds for the development of new anti cancer drugs

The proposal appears in the journal Chemical Communications.

Source: United Press International

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