Researchers from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids, MI, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have discovered that a mouse protein, called STELLA, disrupts cancer-causing chemical changes to genes associated with human colorectal cancer cells. First, the researchers found the part of the protein, or peptide, that was required to activate tumor suppressor genes in human colorectal cancer cells. Then, they designed a lipid nanoparticle – an ultratiny drug delivery vehicle made of fatty molecules – to deliver the messenger RNA (mRNA) that codes for this peptide to cells. The therapy performed well in mice, activating tumor suppressor genes and impairing tumor growth. Next, the researchers plan to test this therapy on human patients through clinical trials.
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