Nat Commun: New Ways to Reduce the Side Effects of Cancer Drugs

Protein research is one of the hottest areas of medical research because protein-based drugs can be developed to treat diabetes, cancer and other diseases.

Although proteins have great potential, their incredibly complex chemical structures pose enormous challenges for scientists. As a result, researchers have been looking for a tool to modify them more precisely, thereby reducing the side effects of the drug.

Recently, researchers have developed a new protein modification method that can reduce the side effects of drugs and can be the key to promoting the development of protein drugs. Their research has been published in Nature Communications.

Protein structure is like an intricate yarn ball

Researchers call this method "His-tag acetylation." In addition, it can add toxic molecules to proteins that attack diseased cells in the body of cancer without attacking healthy cells.

“Protein is like a ball of yarn. When they are opened, a long chain of amino acids will appear. This new modification allows us to precisely target these intricate structures. In short, it will help the drug production, and we can make changes more confidently so that we can reduce side effects in the future," the author said.

Modified proteins must be pinpointed

His-tag acylation accurately targets these complex yarn-like protein structures, which also makes it possible to produce drugs with novel properties.

For example, researchers can now attach fluorescent molecules to proteins, allowing microscopy to track the path of proteins through cells. Since the primary function of these proteins is to transport anticancer molecules around the diseased cells, it is important to follow their path carefully throughout the body.

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