RIYADH: In a joint research study with the University of Michigan, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology discovered a mechanism of action for the MRG15 protein, which regulates the activity of a second protein called ASH1L found in many types of cancer, KAUST announced.
The study’s lead author Samah Al-Harithi explained that the simultaneous binding of MRG15 to ASH1L and the nuclear particle suggests design strategies for alternative drugs that could be more effective in reducing the role of ASH1L in forming tumors.
She added that this theory supports previous research from the University of Michigan team, which showed that ASH1L protein inhibitors work by reducing the boost of leukemia cells or cancers of the white blood cells.
Associate professor and structural biologist Lukasz Jaremko at KAUST, who led the study, explained: “The results showed that experimental ASH1L inhibitors are not affected by the MRG15 protein. Therefore, certain protein interactions should not be a major criterion in cancer drug design.”
