AsianScientist (Nov. 18, 2013) – Scientists at the Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) have discovered that the enzyme Wip1 phosphatase may be a potential target to halt the progression of cancer.
Results of the study, conducted by Dr. Dmitry Bulavin and his team at A*STAR’s Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), were published in this month in the journal Cancer Cell.
The team discovered that Wip1 phosphatase is a key factor that causes point mutations to sprout in human cancers. These types of mutations stem from errors that are made during DNA replication in the body, causing one base-pair in the DNA sequence to be altered.
These mutations can cause cancers to take root, or become resilient to treatment. By using drugs to inhibit the action of Wip1 phosphatase, tumor growth can be stunted without developing resistance.
“Our current findings strongly support the use of an anti-Wip1 drug for cancer treatment in order to reduce a high frequency of mutations in the genome, which is one of the main drivers of tumor relapses,” said Bulavin.
The article can be found at: Bulavin D et al. (2013) Wip1 Controls Global Heterochromatin Silencing via ATM/BRCA1-Dependent DNA Methylation.
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Source: A*STAR; Photo: fotosinteresantes/Flickr/CC.
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