Cancer research: Cancer cells deprive of oxygen
cancer cells are extremely resistant and can even withstand several different treatments. A Max Planck research team has now developed an approach to Krebs attack on a more fundamental level. The cells should deprived of oxygen so that they “suffocate” so to speak.
researchers of Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (MPI-P) presented a new approach that is suitable for the treatment of Krebs could be suitable. In the process, the cancer cells Conversion of oxygen into chemical energy disturbed, causing the degenerated cells to die off. The research results were recently published in the “Journal of the American Chemical Society” presents.
Cancer cells can bypass many treatments
A treatment against cancer often includes several different methods such as drugs, radiotherapy, chemotherapy or immunotherapy. In this way, many different types of cancer cells are supposed to be killed by the treatment.
But cancer cells still make it because of their adaptability to evade the solutions found again and again. The working group around Tanya Weil and David Ng from the MPI-P has therefore looked for ways to attack the cancer cells on a more comprehensive level.
Fighting cancer at the core
“We want to prevent such an adaptation by interfering with the basic pillar of cellular life, namely how cells breathe – that is, take in oxygen – and thus produce chemical energy for growth”explains group leader Ng.
The team is working on a drug designed to disrupt the cellular components of cancer cells. Above all, this is to prevent Tumor cells convert oxygen into chemical energy be able. In this way, the researchers want to give the cancer cells the Cut power supply.
How does the new active ingredient work?
The new active ingredient penetrates the cells and initiates a chemical process there that allows the molecules of the active ingredient to bind to one another. This creates long chains in the cancer cell that are comparable to tiny hairs, but a thousand times thinner than human hair.
“These hairs are fluorescent, so you can look at them directly with a microscope as they form”reports the first author of the study Zhixuan Zhou.
The hairs prevent oxygen from entering the cells Adenosintriphosphat (ATP) can be converted. ATP is the universal energy supplier of cells. Consequently, the cancer cell faces no energy more available from the oxygen and she “suffocates”.
In laboratory tests, the active ingredient was even able to get out of cells untreatable metastatic cancer kill. The cancer cells died out within four hours lack of oxygen away. The researchers see great potential in the active ingredient for the treatment of hitherto incurable cancer.
Further research needed
However, the working group emphasizes that the new active substance has so far only been tested under laboratory conditions. So it will be some years It will be a long time before this method can be tested on humans. (vb)
Author and source information
This text corresponds to the requirements of medical specialist literature, medical guidelines and current studies and has been checked by medical professionals.
Author:
Graduate editor (FH) Volker Blasek
Sources:
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research: How to smother cancer cells (published: 09/08/2022), mpip-mainz.mpg.de
- Zhou, Z.; Maxeiner, K.; Han, S. et al.: In Situ Assembly of Platinum(II)-Metallopeptide Nanostructures Disrupts Energy Homeostasis and Cellular Metabolism; in: Journal of the American Chemical Society (2022), pubs.acs.org
Important NOTE:
This article contains general advice only and should not be used for self-diagnosis or treatment. He can not substitute a visit at the doctor.