Stanford researchers have developed a groundbreaking technique that aims to flip the action of a lymphoma protein, shifting it from preventing cell death to triggering it. By creating a new molecule that brings two proteins together, cancer cells can be manipulated into activating self-destruction genes. This approach, conceived during a hike by cancer biologist Gerald Crabtree, offers a unique method of leveraging the body’s natural cell death process to combat cancer. The researchers hope their strategy will avoid common treatment resistance in cancer by targeting multiple cell death signals simultaneously. The team is now testing the compound in living animals and plans to explore its potential in clinical trials, as well as developing similar molecules to target other cancer-driving proteins.
https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2024/10/protein-cancer.html