The pathogenic protein of senile dementia may be used to treat cancer

For Alzheimer's disease, the existence of amyloid protein is often a bad predictor, because β-amyloid is a major constituent of senile plaques in the brain and is one of the most important indicators of disease severity, and it is also the key target for dementia immunotherapy.

However, as early as the end of May, in an article published in Science Translational Medicine, scientists conducted research using recombinant human proteins and speculated that β-amyloid may also carry an ancient evolution "mission": to protect brain from pathogen invasion and its function is similar to antimicrobial peptides.

In early October, scientists discovered "good" point for amyloid. The research team at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine has revealed that amyloid allows can make cells including cancer cells to enter dormant state. This may bring new paradigm for cancer treatment. The related research results were published in the Cell sub-publication Developmental Cell on October 6th.

Dr. Stephen Lee led the research team to discover the formation mechanism of amyloid. Motif is the structural level of protein between the secondary structure and tertiary structure. Amyloidogenic motifs (ACMs) are able to direct amyloid production by interacting with non-coding ribosomal RNA (rIGSRNA). Β-amyloid peptide has a function similar to ACM, for it can mediate intracellular deposition of amyloid protein. In the signal pathway of heat shock, the key elements can degrade amyloid protein.

The researchers believe that this mechanism is one of the ways that cells respond to stress, allowing cells to store large amounts of proteins and enter the dormant state. Amyloid production allows cells to remain active under stress for extended periods of time. Dormant cancer cells would store large amounts of amyloid proteins, and heat shock signaling pathways will degrade the deposition of amyloid, making cancer cells "wake up", thereby promoting its proliferation and proliferation.

"If we can stop the degradation of amyloid in cancer cells, we will have the ability to keep the cancer cells dormant forever," Dr. Lee said. "In addition, we might be able to induce active cancer cells to store amyloid, thus making them dormant." Although this new idea can't eliminate cancer cells, it can block the deterioration of cancer. Flarebio offers recombinant proteins of good quality such as recombinant LRP3 at competitive prices.