A new anticancer drug called mitoDFO targets mitochondrial iron metabolism. Thus, it takes advantage of the fact that tumor cells need more iron, and the substance thus blocks its processing, thus preventing further growth of the tumor.
Experts from the Institute of Biotechnology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, the Faculty of Science of Charles University (PřF UK) and Smart Brain collaborated on the research. “Tumor cells have an increased need for iron for their metabolism and increased biosynthesis of components that are necessary for their abnormal growth and division,” explained Jaroslav Truksa from the Institute of Biotechnology AS CR.
The researchers published their discovery in a professional journal Cancer Research and have also applied for a patent in the European Union and the United States.
“Iron is an essential cofactor of many metabolic enzymes, mainly in the form of iron-sulfur clusters and heme, both of which are synthesized in mitochondria. Therefore, blocking mitochondrial iron metabolism in tumor cells their deaths, “Truks said.
The key finding is that the substance only acts on tumor cells, while benign cells are not affected. Researchers are now planning more tattoos. However, it is already clear that the substance could help in the fight against cancer in the future.
Doctors from the Czech Republic have developed a new method to detect insidious cancer in the body. Watch the TV Nova report:
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