A mini-protein found in sunflower
seeds could be the key to stopping tumors spreading in prostate
cancer patients, according to QUT researchers. Dr. Jonathan
Harris, a senior lecturer in Queensland University of Technology's
Faculty of Science, and PhD student Joakim Swedberg, both
from the University's Institute of Health and Biomedical
Innovation, are working on the naturally occurring molecule.
"We are interested in this miniprotein as a potential
treatment of prostate cancer, in particular for those patients
who relapse," said Dr Harris.
"The best thing to do in those cases is block the disease
spreading to other organs, particularly the spine, which
is very debilitating; it is not the prostate tumour that
kills you, it is when the cancer cells escape from the prostate
so we want to prevent that."
Another QUT researcher, Professor Judith Clements, had previously
shown that the action of enzymes called proteases was a
key event in tumour spread, and Dr Harris said that the
sunflower mini-protein, known as the protease inhibitor,
was able to block these enzymes in test tube-based assays.
"However, it also inhibits a whole range of proteases,
some of which control important processes in the body, so
we have re-engineered the molecule so it should just block
the proteases produced in prostate cancer and hence stop
tumour spreading, whilst leaving other processes intact,"
he said.
The National Health and Medical Research Council grant will
allow Dr Harris and his team to perform tests on the re-engineered
inhibitor in animals over the next months.
"It feels like we have been covered in a shower of
gold at the moment, it is very exciting for us because we
are a small team but we have been working very hard on this
for a long time," he said.
"We are extremely happy because now we can carry out
trials in mouse-models of prostate cancer and if we have
positive results, we could get a pharmaceutical industry
partner interested in the work. The dream end-product is
having a drug which could be produced in sunflower seeds
and given as a simple dietary supplement for people with
prostate cancer."
Researchers have received over $600,000 worth of grants
this year. The grants came from Queensland Cancer Research,
the Prostate Cancer Foundation, and the National Health
and Medical Research Council.
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