Scientists have discovered a sugar compound from deep-sea bacteria that can destroy cancer cells in a dramatic way. This natural substance, produced by microbes living in the ocean, causes cancer cells to undergo a fiery form of cell death, essentially making them self-destruct. In lab tests and in mice with liver cancer, the compound not only stopped tumors from growing, but also activated the immune system to fight back. This finding could pave the way for entirely new cancer treatments based on sugars from marine organisms.
It’s possible they haven’t discovered why yet.
So far, I’ve found two things.
The pyroptosis pathway triggered is the typical one (lots of Caspase-1 proteins get assembled into a giant inflammosome complex and attack Gasdermin D, which then starts poking holes in the cell membrane).
The EPS3.9 molecule has a high affinity for a five separate membrane lipids.
But without any formal biochemistry training, I am missing a lot of prerequisite knowledge.
Is that high affinity above normal? Does it need to bind all five to enter the cell, or just any of them? Are those lipids, or that combination of lipids, exclusive to tumor cells? I have no info on any of these questions.
It’s also entirely possible that it’s attacking healthy liver cells too, just at a reduced rate due to cancer cells being resource hogs.
It’s possible they haven’t discovered why yet.
So far, I’ve found two things.
But without any formal biochemistry training, I am missing a lot of prerequisite knowledge.
Is that high affinity above normal? Does it need to bind all five to enter the cell, or just any of them? Are those lipids, or that combination of lipids, exclusive to tumor cells? I have no info on any of these questions.
It’s also entirely possible that it’s attacking healthy liver cells too, just at a reduced rate due to cancer cells being resource hogs.