Target for Cancer Therapy Demystified in Yeast Experiments

The G0 Cell Unit revealed the mechanism driving an important enzyme for tumor cell proliferation, hinting at methods to undermine it.

Dr. Norihiko Nakazawa of the G0 Cell Unit led a study to better understand a well-established target for cancer therapy, hopefully paving the way for improved treatments in the future.

The research, published online on January 11, 2019 by the Journal of Biological Chemistry, focuses on a well-established target of cancer therapy: DNA topoisomerase II, or topo II for short. Topo II regulates the topology of DNA, managing the changing structure of the strands over time. Cancerous cells show enhanced topo II activity, which in turn spurs tumor growth. Topo II anticancer drugs suppress the enzyme’s function, prevent tumor cells from replicating and stymie cancer’s spread.

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