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Rare byproduct of marine bacteria kills cancer cells by snipping their DNA:
Yale University researchers have determined how a scarce molecule produced by marine bacteria can kill cancer cells, paving the way for the development of new, low-dose chemotherapies.
The molecule, lomaiviticin A, was previously shown to be lethal to cultured human cancer cells, but the mechanism of its operation remained unsolved for well over a decade. In a series of experiments, Yale scientists Seth Herzon, Peter Glazer, and colleagues show that the molecule nicks, cleaves, and ultimately destroys cancer cells' DNA, preventing replication.
"DNA is one of the primary targets of anticancer agents, and cleavage of both DNA chains is the most potent form of DNA damage," said Herzon, professor of chemistry. "But few anticancer agents are able to directly cleave DNA. The discovery that lomaiviticin A is capable of this suggests it could be very useful as a novel chemotherapy, possibly at low doses."
The abstract and paper can be found here.
(Score: 1) by EvilJim on Tuesday May 13 2014, @04:58AM
time to get back to smoking.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 13 2014, @06:30AM
Smokers are gay. You can tell because they have an oral fixation they satiate by sucking on phallic objects all day long.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 13 2014, @08:14AM
So lesbian smokers are closet hetero?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 13 2014, @05:28PM
It may surprise you to find out that there's no such thing as a lesbian. Or a straight woman. No matter how hard they try to convince themselves or you otherwise, all women are bisexual. Every last one.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 13 2014, @08:33AM
If you phallus is as thin and long as a cigarette, I understand why you post AC.