(ANSA) – ROME, NOV 17 – A research by the Institute of Materials Workshop of the National Research Council of Trieste (Cnr-Iom), in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute of Milan and the University of Bologna, has identified a group of molecules capable of blocking both the aromatase enzyme and the estrogen receptor, two targets of current breast cancer treatments. “If a drug is obtained from these molecules, it could be possible with a single product to carry out the action induced today by two different drugs, solving at the same time the problems posed by resistance and avoiding some side effects”, says study coordinator Alessandra. Magistrate of Cnr-Iom.
The study, published in the European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry and carried out thanks to the support of the AIRC Foundation, combined computer simulation systems with experiments in cell cultures: the former made it possible to identify the structure of molecules capable of exerting an action therapeutic, with the latter the effectiveness has been verified.
Estrogens are female sex hormones that contribute to cell growth and are synthesized thanks to the action of the aromatase enzyme. “Once produced, they bind to the estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), activating it and stimulating cell proliferation. For this reason, if produced in too high a concentration, they can cause abnormal cell growth and induce or worsen breast cancer”, explains Magistrato . Medicines for the treatment of some types of breast cancer interfere with this mechanism. But over time, the tumor develops resistance and therapies lose effectiveness.
“The aim of the research project was therefore to target the enzyme that catalyzes the production of estrogens and at the same time block the receptor, in order to counteract the mutations”, concludes Magistrato. (HANDLE).
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Source From: Ansa
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