Cancer Mitochondrial Blocker
For a long time it was believed that the growth of cancer cells does not depend on the function of mitochondria. However, in recent years, this dogma has been questioned. Cancer stem cells are particularly dependent on the mitochondria, but it was not possible to use them as a target for antitumor therapy due to the high toxicity associated with damage to the mitochondria of healthy cells.
An international team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for the Biology of Aging in Cologne, the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and the University of Gothenburg reports in their study that a way has been found to overcome these difficulties. The authors managed to create a cancer drug that targets mitochondrial function without serious side effects and harm to healthy cells.
Mitochondria contain their own genetic material, enclosed in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). One of the mitochondrial proteins is mitochondrial RNA polymerase (POLRMT). The group's previous research has shown that rapidly dividing cells (e.g., embryonic cells) are very sensitive to suppression of mtDNA expression, while differentiated tissues (e.g., skeletal muscles) may not suffer for a surprisingly long time. The researchers concluded that POLRMT, as a key regulator of mtDNA expression, could become a promising target.
Suppression of mitochondrial RNA polymerase
Inhibition of POLRMT dramatically reduced the viability of cancer cells and tumor growth in mice, but was generally well tolerated by animals. The POLRMT inhibitor, in fact, causes cancer cells to starve to death without serious toxic side effects, at least for a certain time, which provides a potential opportunity for cancer treatment.
Illustration of a POLRMT inhibitor molecule.
Another advantage of the new treatment is that researchers know exactly where it binds to POLRMT and what exactly it does with the protein, unlike some other drugs that are even used in clinical practice.
Given the important role of mitochondrial metabolism in the cell, an inhibitor of mitochondrial gene expression can be used not only for cancer treatment, but also in other fields of medicine.
The article by N.A.Bonekamp et al. Small-molecule inhibitors of human mitochondrial DNA transcription is published in the journal Nature. Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of Max-Planck-Gesellschaft: New drug inhibits the growth of cancer cells.