Minimal Drug Fragment Disables Cancer Cells' Antioxidant Defenses, Offering Hope for Hard-to-Treat Tumors

Minimal drug fragment disables cancer cells' antioxidant defenses, offering hope for hard-to-treat tumors

Scientists at Wake Forest University School of Medicine have discovered a new way to kill cancer cells by blocking their ability to clean up harmful waste. Cancer cells produce high levels of hydrogen peroxide, which can damage them if it builds up. Normally, they rely on a special protein to keep this in check. The research team found a way to shut down that protein, causing toxic levels of hydrogen peroxide to overwhelm the cancer cells and de…

Wake Forest University School of Medicine Scientists Uncover Cancer Treatment Strategy That Pushes Tumor Cells Past Their Breaking Point

Researchers have uncovered a promising cancer treatment strategy by targeting a mitochondrial protein called peroxiredoxin-3 (PRX3). PRX3 normally acts as a cleanup system inside cancer cells, breaking down hydrogen peroxide before it becomes toxic. The team discovered a compound fragment that binds to PRX3 and switches it off, causing hydrogen peroxide to accumulate beyond the cell’s tolerance.