Researchers have successfully identified a small molecule that resets the "biological clock" of cancer cells and can play an important role in shrinking tumour growth and pave way for a new therapy to treat cancer.
The study showed that the "cancer cell killer" molecule called 6-thio-2-deoxyguanosine (6-thiodG) can stop the growth of cancer cells. "We observed broad efficacy against a range of cancer cell lines with very low concentrations of 6-thiodG," said Jerry Shay, professor at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre in the US.
The researchers, however, did not observe serious side effects in the blood, liver and kidneys of the mice that were treated with 6-thiodG. They added that this molecule acts by targeting a unique mechanism that is believed to regulate how long cells can stay alive.
We know that DNA structures known as telomeres define the biological clock and the telomeres cap the ends of the cell's chromosomes to protect them from damage and which become shorter every time the cell divides.
"Since telomerase is expressed in almost all human cancers, this work represents a potentially innovative approach to targeting telomerase-expressing cancer cells with minimal side effects on normal cells," said a researcher.
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