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A team of scientists has developed a promising new strategy for"reactivating" genes that cause cancer tumors to shrink and die. The researchers hope that theirdiscovery will aid in the development of an innovative anti-cancerdrug that effectively targets unhealthy, cancerous tissue withoutdamaging healthy, non-cancerous tissue and vital organs. Theresearch will be published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. The team, led by Yanming Wang, a Penn State University associateprofessor of biochemistry and molecular biology, and Gong Chen, aPenn State assistant professor of chemistry, developed the newstrategy after years of earlier research on a gene called PAD4(peptidylarginine deiminase 4), which produces the PAD4 enzyme.Previous research by Wang and other scientists revealed that thePAD4 enzyme plays an important role in protecting the body frominfection. The scientists compared normal mice with a functioningPAD4 gene to other mice that had a defective a PAD4 gene. Wheninfected with bacteria, cells from the normal mice attacked andkilled about 30 percent of the harmful bacteria, while cells fromthe defective mice battled a mere 10 percent. The researchersdiscovered that cells with a functioning PAD4 enzyme are able tobuild around themselves a protective, bacteria-killing web thatWang and his colleagues dubbed a NET (neutrophil extracellulartrap). This NET is especially effective at fighting offflesh-eating bacteria. Now, in their new study, Wang and his collaborators have focused onthe less-desirable effects of the same PAD4 gene. While PAD4 isclearly a critical part of the body's defense strategy, the gene'sover-expression may be linked to autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis . One situation in which the PAD4 enzyme is markedly increased isin patients with certain cancers, such as breast, lung, and bonecancers. "We know that the PAD4 gene acts to silencetumor-suppressor genes," said Wang. "So we theorized that byinhibiting the enzyme that this gene produces, the 'good guys' -the tumor-suppressor genes - would do a better job at destroyingcancerous tissue and allowing the body to heal." To test their theory, Wang and his colleagues treated mice that hadcancerous tumors with a molecule to inhibit the PAD4 enzyme. Theyfound that, especially when combined with additional enzymeinhibitors, the treatment worked as effectively as themost-commonly-used chemotherapy drug, doxorubicin, which shrinkstumors by about 70 percent. Most striking, however, was that the PAD4 enzyme-inhibitionstrategy caused significantly less damage to healthy tissues."Current chemotherapy drugs such as doxorubicin don't attack justtumors; unfortunately, they also attack healthy areas of the body,"Wang explained. "That's why chemotherapy patients experience suchterrible side effects such as weight loss, nausea, and hair loss . Because the PAD4 treatment appears to be less toxic, it could bean excellent alternative to current chemotherapy treatments." Wang also explained that the PAD4 gene's dual personality - on theone hand a helpful defense against bacteria, while on the other, aharmful silencer of cancer-suppressor genes -- can be understoodfrom the perspectives of evolution and longer life spans. "Ourancestors didn't have antibiotics , so a bacterial infection could easily result in death, especiallyin young children," Wang explained. "So, back then, an overactivePAD4 gene was advantageous because the NET bacteria-trappingmechanism was the body's major defense against infection." Wangalso explained that on the other hand, because people today haveaccess to antibiotics, we live much longer than our ancestors did."PAD4's bad effects - cancer and autoimmune diseases - tend to beillnesses that appear later in life," Wang said. "So nowadays, anoveractive PAD4 gene, while still protective against bacteria, canbe detrimental later in life." Additional References Citations. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as Hair Stylist Combs Manufacturer , China Salon Tool Bag for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Salon Hair Clips.
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