Toxic Protein Released From Bacteria Fights Cancer By Hampering Tumor Cell Growth

A toxin protein from the bacterium Vibrio Vulnificus can fight cancer by preventing a protein that is vital for cell proliferation in cancer.

Northwestern Medicine scientists have conducted a recent study, which report that a toxin that can cause lethal infections in persons with liver disease has the potential to prevent the growth of tumors.

"A toxin protein from the //bacterium Vibrio vulnificus can inhibit tumor cell growth by cutting the protein Ras," researchers said.

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"Ras is important for cell proliferation in cancer, so the toxin could potentially be developed as a treatment for different types of tumors," said Prof. Karla Satchell, Microbiology-immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, USA.

"The bacterium uses the MARTX (multifunctional-auto processing repeats-in-toxin) toxin protein to inactivate Ras, increasing its own virulence and allowing it to spread throughout the host," the study said.

"It has been known that Ras has a role in cancer development and targeting Ras has been one of the hardest challenges of cancer research and drug discovery,” Satchell said.

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