The latest finding, published in the journal Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, builds on previous research into drug resistance. “Our results suggest some new strategies that we can use to improve patient outcomes in the clinic,” says one of the paper’s authors.
The research team studied a protein called Smoothened, which plays a vital role in the development of healthy tissues and organs. However, when Smoothened becomes overactive, it can cause brain and skin tumors to form and spread. Blocking Smoothed can stop the spread of cancer, but tumors will eventually adapt and make this approach ineffective. Smoothed is part of a signaling pathway in the body. “Messages” passing through this wire instruct the cell.
“We knew the signaling pathway existed but didn’t understand how it works… We hope that with a better understanding of this phenomenon, cancer drugs will become much more effective,” the researchers write. clear” at the molecular level and what constitutes the transmitted signal.
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Source: Ferra
