Tricking cancer

The treatment of patients with cancer has changed so profoundly in recent years so that scientists have different ways of fighting it, and often brilliant. The latest discovery by scientists at the Faculty of Medicine, Wayne State University, led by K. Rosner, is one such example. Basically, they built a molecule that resembles a natural enzyme, protein in cells, but slightly modified to trick cancer cells. The cancer cells begin to commit suicide. Chosen as a model, one of the more aggressive cancers and more resistant to chemotherapy treatments in the human body is melanoma.

The researchers genetically modified the enzyme DNAse1. This protein is a potent destroyer of the genetic code of cells. When introduced into tumor cells, this modified enzyme is resistant to natural destruction, and continues to act within the cell nucleus, gradually leading to digestion and DNA fragmentation. Scientists expect to fool the tumor cells and induce them to produce this lethal enzyme, they just sit back and expect that the tumor will commit suicide. Slowly. No need for chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Genial.

　

Translated from the Portuguese version by:

Lisa Karpova

Pravda.Ru