Protein found to supress growth of cancer discovered

Protein and genes either cause or suppress the growth of cancer and its spread to other organs. For example, the protein p53 causes damaged cells to die, suppressing the growth of cancer.

More than half of all human cancers harbor p53 mutations or have no functioning p53 protein.

Korean researchers have identified a protein that prevents p53 genes from being destroyed and found that this protein also helps the destruction of cancer cells. The utilization of the systems identification of this protein is expected to pave the way for the development of a new concept drug to fight cancer.

A joint team of biological science professor Baek Sung-hee at Seoul National University and researchers at Pohang University of Science and Technology and Sookmyung Women’s University said Monday that when an ordinary DNA is destroyed due to cancer, the body shows signs of DNA damage and creates a protein called RORα.

The protein is crucial for p53 stabilization, ultimately suppressing the growth of cancer. The worsening of cancer stems from the loss of function of this protein.

These findings were listed in the Friday issue of Molecular Cell, a stablemate of the preeminent life science magazine Cell.

In a world first, the Korean team in February last year found that RORα, which plays a crucial role in the growth of cerebellum, suppresses the growth of colorectal cancer. This time, the team found that RORα also helps suppress other types of cancers.

Professor Baek said, “Our study is meaningful in that we found for the first time in the world that RORα, previously known to have created loss of function of cerebellum, controls the cell extinction, playing a key role in the suppression of p53 cancer. This created the possibility of the development of anti-cancer drugs using p53."

Having identified a gene that suppresses the spread of cancer and the control mechanism of that gene, Baek received a life science award for women in September from L’Oreal Korea, the Korean National Commission for UNESCO and Women’s Bioscience Forum for creating a breakthrough for a cancer cure.

edmondy@donga.com