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Science & Tech.
Pradeep Kumar

17/03/21 11:00 AM IST

Molecular sensor for identifying new cancer drugs

Context

Understanding tubulin modifications has remained a challenge till date because of unavailability of tools that can mark them in living cells

In news

Researchers have recently developed a molecular sensor, which can identify cancer drugs by detecting how such chemicals modify microtubules inside living cells

Issue 

Researchers from inStem, Bangalore, India, in collaboration withCurie Institute, Orsay,France, funded byIndo-French Centre decided to overcome this shortcoming and developed the first tubulin nanobody - or sensor to study the dynamics of microtubule modifications in living cells and use this for identification of new cancer therapeutic drugs. 

Finding of the research
  • The researchers from Bangalore and Orsay devised a method to design synthetic proteins, known as nanobodies, which can bind specifically to modified microtubules.
  • These nanobodies are similar to antibodies made in our body as a defense mechanism against pathogens.
  • However, unlike antibodies, the nanobodies are smaller in size and easily amenable for protein engineering.
  • The nanobody was then coupled with a fluorescent molecule to serve as a detection tool, called sensor. They developed and validated a live cell sensor against a unique microtubule modification called tyrosinated form of microtubules that is already known to be important for cell division and intracellular organization.
  • The tyrosination sensor is the first tubulin nanobody - or sensor - that can be used to study the dynamics of microtubule modifications in living cells
  • CEFIPRA researchers have shown the application of this sensor in studying the effect of small-molecule compounds that target microtubules.
  • These chemicals are frequently used as anti-cancer drugs.
  • Thus, the tyrosination sensor will facilitate studying microtubule functions for many researchers and will aid identifying new drugs of therapeutic value.
Source: PIB

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