Breaking Down Breast Cancer: Targeting PTPRD with Antibodies
An enzyme that may help some breast cancers spread can be stopped with an antibody created in the lab of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Professor Nicholas Tonks. With further development, the antibody might offer an effective drug treatment for those same breast cancers.
Understanding the Role of PTPRD
The new antibody targets an enzyme called PTPRD that is overabundant in some breast cancers. PTPRD belongs to a family of molecules known as protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs), which help regulate many cellular processes.
They do this by working with enzymes called kinases to control how other proteins inside cells behave. Kinases add small chemical regulators called phosphates to proteins, and PTPs take them off.
Challenges in Targeting Kinases and PTPs
Disruptions in the addition or removal of phosphates can contribute to inflammation, diabetes, and cancer. Some disorders can be corrected with kinase-blocking drugs. However, challenges exist in targeting kinases, as resistance can develop over time.
Drugs that control PTP activity could have a significant impact on human health. However, developing such drugs has proven difficult. Tonks, who has studied PTPs extensively, sees them as an untapped resource for drug development.
A New Approach: Synthetic Antibodies
Traditional small molecules that block enzymes won’t work for PTPs like PTPRD. To stop PTPRD activity, graduate student Zhe Qian devised a new PTP blocker using synthetic antibodies. These antibodies are designed to recognize and bind to their target uniquely.
Inhibiting PTPRD with Antibodies
Qian and colleagues in the Tonks lab demonstrated that when the antibody binds to its target, it draws pairs of PTPRD proteins into an inactive configuration.
This not only prevents PTPRD from working but also leads to the protein’s destruction. The team showed that this approach makes breast cancer cells in the lab less invasive.
A Promising Strategy for Breast Cancer Treatment
Tonks and Qian propose that the same strategy might be used to block the possible metastasis-promoting enzyme in patients with breast cancer.
Combining this approach with a kinase-targeting drug could be particularly effective in treating the disease.
Read the original article on Tech Xplore.
Read more: A Molecular-Based, Finite-State Device.
