Korean researchers delay progress of cancer
Korean
researchers have moved one step closer to developing a biomedical
mechanism that mitigates the development of cancer in patients.
They discovered MDH2, a protein located in the mitochondria of a cell, is responsible for breaking down HIF-1, a protein that is crucial in the development of cancer.
The study, supported by the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning, was led by Won Mi-sun from the BioMedical Genomics Research Center of Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) and Prof. Lee Kyung from the School of Pharmacy at Dongguk University.
HIF-1 is known for hastening the progress of cancer, contributing to the development of blood vessels in tumors and tumor resistance to apoptosis, or programmed cell death.
The growth of cancerous cells creates a low-oxygen environment in the body. In response, cancer cells produce HIF-1α to survive in the hazardous setting.
The researchers have made groundbreaking progress in taking a biochemical approach to use chemical probes - selective cell-permeable inhibitors of protein function, the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning said.
The team artificially combined the chemical probe of “LW6” - a protein invented in 2006 to inhibit the production of HIF-1α - with the target molecule within a cell and observed its location within the cell. After disassembling the cell, they discovered that LW6 is the target molecule of MDH2.
Researchers discovered that the mitochondria produces less oxygen when MDH2 is combined with HIF-1, which speeds up the breakdown of HIF-1α.
The research has been published in the German scientific journal, Angewandte Chemie, the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning reported on Aug. 18.
They discovered MDH2, a protein located in the mitochondria of a cell, is responsible for breaking down HIF-1, a protein that is crucial in the development of cancer.
The study, supported by the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning, was led by Won Mi-sun from the BioMedical Genomics Research Center of Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) and Prof. Lee Kyung from the School of Pharmacy at Dongguk University.
HIF-1 is known for hastening the progress of cancer, contributing to the development of blood vessels in tumors and tumor resistance to apoptosis, or programmed cell death.
The growth of cancerous cells creates a low-oxygen environment in the body. In response, cancer cells produce HIF-1α to survive in the hazardous setting.
The researchers have made groundbreaking progress in taking a biochemical approach to use chemical probes - selective cell-permeable inhibitors of protein function, the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning said.
The team artificially combined the chemical probe of “LW6” - a protein invented in 2006 to inhibit the production of HIF-1α - with the target molecule within a cell and observed its location within the cell. After disassembling the cell, they discovered that LW6 is the target molecule of MDH2.
Researchers discovered that the mitochondria produces less oxygen when MDH2 is combined with HIF-1, which speeds up the breakdown of HIF-1α.
The research has been published in the German scientific journal, Angewandte Chemie, the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning reported on Aug. 18.
