German scientists discover protein to combat tumors: study

German scientists discovered in immune cells a protein that might be suitable as a new active substance to combat cancer in a unique way, the University of Heidelberg announced on Tuesday.

The scientists found the potential substance in so-called natural killer cells. If they bump into tumor cells during their patrols in the body, they inject them with a lethal protein cocktail.

The pathologist identified in this toxic mixture, the so-called high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein, is a highly effective natural weapon against cancer as it paralyzes a mechanism of energy generation which is normally used by tumor cells and not by healthy cells.

After Heidelberg researchers succeeded in filtering out the protein from the mixture, experiments with tumor cells revealed that the protein could not only strengthen the immune response, but also interrupt an important metabolic pathway by which tumor cells degrade glucose to gain energy.

To test the effect on complete tumors, the working group produced greater amounts of the HMGB1 protein, and found that among mice that were treated with HMGB1 their growing colon tumors shrank or even disappeared completely.

"Immunotherapies aim at generally supporting the immune system to better recognize the cancer cells and fight against them. Therapy with HMGB1 would have the advantage that, although it uses the weapons of the immune system, it does not depend on their functionality and is yet highly selectively efficient against cancer cells," said Georg Gdynia from the Institute of Pathology at the University Hospital Heidelberg.

This form of "cell murder" by the immune system has been described by German scientists in the journal Nature Communications. Endit