The scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research, London, recently made a discovery that will open the door to new types of cancer treatment that can control tankyrase more precisely than is currently possible, with fewer side effects. The research revealed crucial structural insights into the elusive but important tankyrase protein, that promote the growth of bowel cancer; as published in the journal Nature. This alone is a groundbreaking discover and the discovery drugs could block this protein that ensures the bowel cancer growth effectively.
This discovery may have other positive implications for the treatment of various cancers, diabetes, inflammatory, cardiac, and neurodegenerative diseases in the future. This was funded by the joint collaboration of the Cancer Research UK and the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) which was also a charity organisation
According to biology, Tankyrase is a protein that promotes “Wnt signaling,” which is essential for the body to maintain stem cells and carry out other processes like cell division and development but, when this protein level is left uncontrolled, can promote the growth of bowel cancer and other diseases. it was identified that the same protein Tankyrase also controls other cell functions critical to cancer, such as the maintenance of the ends of chromosomes, the telomeres.
looking at the tankyrase protein; and unlike the PARP1 protein from the same ‘PARP family’, the Tankyrase protein remains poorly understood. Although drugs that inhibit PARP1 have already entered clinical trials and are in use, scientists have yet to fully understand how Tankyrase is activated, how it functions, and how to block it without causing unwanted side effects. But by adopting the Nobel Prize-winning microscopy techniques, the researchers themselves revealed how the Tankyrase protein switches itself on and off by intricately self-assembling into 3D chain-like structures. Their study, published in the journal Nature, lead to the discovery of drugs that can block protein Tankyrase that ensures bowel cancer growth.
Conclusion
These researchers from London’s Institute of Cancer Research believe their findings will pave the way for new types of cancer treatment that can control tumor growth more precisely and with fewer side effects than is currently possible. This is good news and gives hope to all of humanity in the fight against cancer and cancerous diseases. If you ever lost someone who suffered from cancer, you would know the loss is unbearable. Leave us a comment if you feel the need to.
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