Nuclear Pore Complex: New target for cancer chemotherapy
Nuclear Pore Complex:
New target for cancer chemotherapy
Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are the channel-type architecture present in the nucleus of cells. It is the gateway for the transfer of macromolecules (DNA, RNA, and Proteins) from the nucleus
to the cytoplasm.
Research Scientists at the International Institute of Innovation and Technology Kolkata (I3TK) are interested in further research on macromolecular transport machinery for drug development against various metabolic disorders. They identified a novel RNA binding
protein (RBP) in a model organism that controls the transport of macromolecules through this channel. Inhibition of this RBP caused destabilization of NPC and mRNA export from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. Many cancer cells exhibited elevated levels of nuclear pores compared to normal cells.
A recent study from Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute demonstrated that blocking the construction of nuclear pores complexes shrank aggressive tumors in mice while leaving healthy cells unharmed. Because cancer cells are highly dependent on the nuclear transport process thus targeting the function of the nuclear pore complex is a promising strategy for cancer chemotherapies.
For more information:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mmi.14773
&
https://aacrjournals.org/cancerdiscovery/article/11/1/176/2658/Inhibition-of-Nuclear-Pore-Complex-Formation
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