Gone With The Windstyle ‘kiss’ could target cancer

Scientists at Dundee University have reported a major breakthrough in targeting the causes of many of the world’s diseases.

The researchers believe they have figured out a way to destroy proteins which can cause cancer and Huntingdon’s Disease using a ‘kiss of death’.

The proteins were previously thought to be ‘undruggable’ but tests conducted on similar proteins show it may be possible to bind them to neutralising agents to start degradation, thereby removing them entirely.

The study, which used a small molecule approach, was led by Professor Alessio Ciulli at the university’s school of life sciences.

He said although the proteins in question have been identified for some time, it hasn’t been possible to stop them from going “rogue”.

“The major problem is that we have been unable to find the small molecules which can successfully bind to these proteins and at the same time hamper their function,” he explained.

“Research in our lab in the past few years has contributed towards establishing a different approach, one that has been theorised for many years but which is only now fully realised by this latest work.

“Crucially, we have also found that it is not enough for this neutralising protein to sit close to the bad protein.

“It has to make direct contact with it, to ‘kiss’ it.”

He continued: “And not just a little peck, but a real Gone With The Wind embrace.

“We call this a ‘kiss of death’, as it is the key to ensure the degradation of the bad protein.”

“We now understand better how to turn inhibitors into degraders.

“The road to turning degraders into drugs will be long and winding and we cannot get there on our own,” he added.

Also working on the project are Morgan Gadd, Andrea Testa, Xavier Lucas and Kwok-Ho Chan, as well as Wengzhan Chan and Dougie Lamont from the Dundee Fingerprints Proteomics Facility.