Specific Human Enzyme Programmable to Kill Cancer Cells, Identified by New CHORI Research
December 30, 2006 by Gloria Gamat
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Scientists at the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI) have identified a specific human enzyme that can cause the death of cancer cells.
Researchers studied the behavior of an enzyme called sphingosine phosphate lyase (SPL), which can regulate cell growth and death by lowering the levels of a natural, growth-promoting lipid called sphingosine-1-phosphate, or S1P.
Researchers identified SPL as a key regulator of cancer cells. They discovered that if the cancer cells were stressed by chemotherapy, SPL could be activated or “turned on” to reduce the levels of S1P, which is needed to cause cell death.
Led by Julie Saba, M.D., Ph.D., the study is the first to link the SPL enzyme to cancer.
The study have been published in the November issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Read the full press release at CHORI or at Science Daily.
