Plant Gene Related To Cancer Treatment May Foster New Oncology Drugs

Two proteins involved in the process that controls plant growth may help explain why human cells reject chemotherapy drugs, according to an international team of scientists. Researchers from Purdue University and Kyoto University in Japan have shown for the first time that proteins similar to multi-drug resistant proteins in humans move a plant growth hormone into cells, said Purdue plant cell biologist Angus Murphy. Because plant proteins called P-glycoproteins (PGPs) are closely related to human P-glycoproteins that impact chemotherapy effectiveness, discovery of methods to control the plant protein’s activity may aid in development of therapies to reduce drug dosages administered to cancer patients, Murphy said. Murphy is corresponding author of the study published in the November issue of Plant Cell. He also is corresponding author of a related article published in October’s Plant Journal.