A new anti-cancer protein has been discovered

Alexey Yevglevsky, Naked Science

Liver cancer, which is also known as hepatocellular carcinoma, is widespread in a number of developed countries. For example, in Switzerland over the past 20 years, the number of recorded cases of the disease has doubled. It is usually diagnosed in the late stages of development, when there is little chance of recovery. The discovery of a new protein can change the situation.

The drug against cancer cells is called a "tumor suppressor". It prevents the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells. Biologists from the University of Basel (Switzerland) a new suppressor was discovered, which was called LHPP. Their study (Hindupur et al., The protein histidine phosphatase LHPP is a tumour suppressor) showed that a lack of LHPP protein promotes the growth of cancer cells and reduces the chances of recovery of patients.

The researchers tested 4,500 proteins, comparing their effect on diseased and healthy tissues. As soon as scientists reintroduced genetic information about LHPP, the formation of new tumors stopped, and liver function returned to normal. One of the authors of the work , Sravant Hindupur , commented discovery:

"It is striking that LHPP is present in healthy tissues and completely absent in infected ones. [In addition to experiments on mouse organs], we observed patients with liver cancer. They also had a decrease in the number of LHPP."

The biologist added that the severity of the disease also depends on the amount of LHPP protein. The discovery of this protein will allow doctors to quickly determine the presence of cancer in patients, as well as reduce the size and number of tumors at an early stage of their development.

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