Stinging exercise for cancer

Scientists from the Biomedical Research Institute in Barcelona (IRB Barcelona) are developing an innovative healing process against breast cancer, which is based on the Mars wasp protein

By Shimon Bogan

Wasp venom is a sophisticated multi-ingredient mixture. This venom is special and unusual in that it contains a high concentration of neurotoxins together with a high concentration of proteolytic toxins (enzymes that break down proteins).

(Poison - a chemical substance that has harmful physiological effects. Toxin - a biochemical substance that is capable of causing harmful physiological effects.)

Scientists from the Biomedical Research Institute in Barcelona (IRB Barcelona) are developing an innovative healing process against breast cancer, which is based on the Mars wasp protein. So far (August 2014), in vitro experiments have been crowned with success, in which targeted elimination of cancer cells was carried out using the protein enzyme Shabars. This is nothing less than a revolution in chemotherapy treatments, since for the first time there is a chance for a process of killing / eliminating / destroying cancer cells that does not harm healthy cells, has no side effects and does not allow the cancer cells to develop resistance.

The head of the research group, Prof. Miguel Moreno, explains that the aforementioned protein causes the formation of cavities and openings in the cell membrane, penetrates through it and mixes with the cell fluid, causing its immediate death (necrosis) or the process of self-destruction (apoptosis).
However, it must be remembered that this powerful weapon cannot be used in its original natural form, due to its high toxicity and the lack of differentiation between disease cells and healthy cells. To achieve maximum differentiation, the researchers upgraded the toxin to the rank of "Trojan horse". This enables the direction and arrival of the substance to the cancer cells only, so that it accumulates and acts only on the target cells.
In such a stinging exercise, the researchers take advantage of the prominent feature and the emphasized power of the cancer cells, to perform the act of severing protein bonds by means of unique self-proteolytic enzymes that are bound to their outer wall. This feature is weak or absent in healthy body cells in general, and in red blood cells in particular.

The researchers in the laboratory synthesized the toxin - mitoparan - in wasp venom after determining its amino acid sequence, and attached it to the skeleton of poly-L-glutamic acid (PGA). In doing so, they turned it into an innocent and biochemically inactive substance. Of course, the cancer cell culture did not recognize the preparation as an enemy to be defended against, but as a gift that is an adequate food target for the routine destructive action of their proteolytic proteins.

As soon as these caused the bond between the carrier polymer and the toxin to be broken, the latter returned to its active form, immediately penetrated through the membranes of the cancer cells, perforating them, disintegrating them and causing their death.

In order to increase the effect and the success, the researchers equipped the toxin, in its inactive and innocent form, with the addition of a guidance protein, which targets and communicates exclusively with receptors that are particularly characteristic of breast cancer cells. In doing so, they further focused, in location and timing, the selective release of the toxin in cancer cells and their elimination.

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