An effective method of alleviating the side effects of chemotherapy
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Scientists from Duke University (USA) have identified the structure of a key molecule that is able to transport chemotherapeutic and antiviral drugs directly into cells, which should help in creating more effective drugs with far less side effects for the whole organism.
A transport molecule is a concentrating nucleoside conveyor that provides movement of nucleosides, building blocks of DNA and RNA, inside cells. In addition, it is capable of transporting nucleoside-like drugs through cell membranes. Once inside the cell, the drug is converted into nucleosides, which are then incorporated into DNA to prevent the division of cancer cells and their functioning.
The authors of the work defined the chemical and physical principles used by the conveyor molecule for the recognition of nucleosides, since if it is possible to improve the interaction between this conveyor and the medicines, this will allow us to use only the minimum required amount of medicine to pass into the inner space of cancer cells. Knowing the exact shape of the conveyor molecule will give researchers the opportunity to develop a design for new drugs that will be better recognized by this nucleoside conveyor. So, it became known that the molecule-conveyor has three forms that recognize different drugs and are in different tissues of the body.
Conveyor molecules of the cholera Vibrio cholera Vibrio cholera were studied in this study. The bacterial conveyor serves as a good model system for studying human conveyors, since it has similar amino acid sequences. It turned out that human conveyors and bacteria use the same gradient of sodium ions for the import of nucleosides and drugs into the cellular space.
The next step of researchers from Duke University will be an attempt to understand which particular features of the conveyor molecule allow it to recognize certain medications. Ultimately, this will allow developing pharmaceutical preparations that can easily penetrate into cells.
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