A recent study published in the journal Cancer Research found that combining an existing cancer drug, imatinib, with a new form of drug that melts disease-causing proteins, can have powerful effects on chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cancer cells.

The team of chemical biologists from Yale University and Oregon Health and Science University found that PROTAC (Proteolysis Targeting Chimera), latches onto the offending protein and then calls over other proteins in the body, called ligases, which mark the unwanted molecule as trash. The cell’s waste disposal system then obliterates it.”

The research findings have motivated researchers to revisit proteins they once thought were “undruggable” and entire research conferences dedicated to PROTACs , including further clinical trials to test whether the hype about this new kind of therapy is worthwhile.

CML causes marrow to produce too many white blood cells, which can lead to tumour growth. According to the World Health Organization, around 100,000 people are affected each year.

View the complete research article: Targeting BCR-ABL1 in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia by PROTAC-mediated Targeted Protein Degradation

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Source: Massive Science