Academia Sinica yesterday unveiled the results of its research into the effects a protein complex has on the development of colorectal cancer, providing a possible solution to the treatment of the disease, which is the most common cancer in the nation.
Meng Tzu-ching (孟子青), a research fellow at the institute, said colorectal cancer is triggered by the mutation of the Kristen ras (K-Ras) gene, which regulates cell division.
He said that research in the past had determined that the dephosphorylation of protein kinase 12 is directly related to the spreading of colorectal cancer cells, but scientists were not able to validate a widely-held hypothesis that links the process to the effects of tyrosine phosphatase N3 (PTPN3).
Drawing upon concepts in structural biology, the team — led by research fellow Andrew Wang (王惠鈞) and comprising Chen Kai-en (陳凱恩) and Meng — devised a hybrid methodology, whereby they successfully created the PTPN3-protein kinase 12 complex.
By observing the interactions between the two proteins found inside the human body, they discovered that early-stage colorectal cancer degenerates and goes out of control when PTPN3 aggravated by the mutation of K-Ras comes into an abnormally high level of contact with protein kinase 12, through which process the PTTN3 “bites into” the protein kinase 12, the researchers said.
Furthermore, with the help of the hybrid methodology — which determines the protein complex’s outline through small-angle X-ray scattering, its structure through X-ray crystallography, and the connecting points between the proteins through chemical cross-linking/mass spectrometry — the team was able to create the protein complex, by which they confirmed the hypothesis that the dephosphorylation of protein kinase 12 was caused by PTTN3.
Wang said the ability to identify the points of linkage between the two proteins is especially helpful to developing new therapies and drugs to combat the cancer, which could help develop new methods to cut off the pathway by which PTTN3 comes into contact with protein kinase 12, instead of targeting the mutated gene, as most drugs do, which causes many side effects and inflicts more pain on the patient because it affects the normal functions of the gene.
The findings could be a major step forward for cancer therapeutic drugs, he added.
The trio’s work was the cover story of the Oct. 14 version of the Science Signaling journal.
Statistics published by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in April put colorectal cancer on the top of a list of 10 most common cancers in the nation, with a person contracting the disease every 50 minutes.
The cancer has topped the list for six consecutive years, statistics showed.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS