Spezzare un legame letale tra due proteine per battere il tumore è il nuovo obiettivo della caccia ai farmaci anticancro. Ad aprire la nuova strada è la scoperta del meccanismo che toglie il freno ai tumori, permettendo alle loro cellule staminali di mantenersi in vita per generarne altri.
Pubblicato sulla rivista Nature, il risultato riguarda il tumore più frequente e aggressivo del cervello, il glioblastoma, e lo si deve alla Columbia University di New York. Il cuore del meccanismo che tiene in vita i tumori si chiama Id-2 ed è una proteina che da oltre 15 anni è nel mirino delle ricerche. Appartiene alla famiglia degli Inibitori del differenziamento (Id), che in condizioni normali aiutano le cellule staminali a moltiplicarsi.
Un ricercatore ha riferito mercoledì che si tratta di una scoperta importante, "poiché le cellule staminali sopravvivono alla chemioterapia e sono le responsabili della riformazione del tumore". Perciò capire il meccanismo che le aiuta rigenerare la malattia è basilare per definire farmaci che lo neutralizzino.
ATS/Reuters/EnCa
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