TV report on new approach to stabilize p53
- 3 days ago
- 1 min read
A recent report by 17:30 Live Rheinland-Pfalz/Hessen featured a new approach from cancer research in Frankfurt: Prof. Volker Dötsch, PROXIDRUGS researcher, and Dr. Andreas Joerger are working to stabilize mutated variants of the tumor suppressor protein p53.
p53 is often referred to as the “guardian of the genome” because it can detect damaged cells and activate important protective mechanisms. In many tumors, however, p53 is mutated and loses its function. One central problem is that many of these mutations destabilize the protein’s three-dimensional structure. This is where the Frankfurt research approach comes in: They develop Designed Ankyrin Repeat Proteins, similar to miniature antibodies designed to bind to mutated p53 variants, stabilize them, and thereby prevent the protein from losing its functional structure. The interesting aspect of this approach is that a single miniature antibody can reactivate several hundred different p53 mutations (responsible for up to 3 million new cancer cases per year), avoiding the necessity to develop a new molecule for each mutation.
Volker Dötsch is project lead in the PROXIDRUGS project AltTAC, which investigates, among other things, alternative proxidrug mechanisms for stabilizing p53. The project thus expands the spectrum of possible proximity-based approaches beyond targeted protein degradation and explores how disease-relevant proteins can be functionally modulated through novel strategies.
The approach is still at an early stage of research, but it impressively demonstrates the potential of targeted stabilization of disease-relevant proteins – and how PROXIDRUGS projects such as AltTAC can open up new options for future cancer therapies.
