An antibody developed in the lab of Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory Professor Nicholas Tonks can inhibit an enzyme that may aid in the spread of some breast tumours.
With additional research, the antibody could provide a viable therapeutic treatment for the same breast tumours. The novel antibody targets PTPRD, an enzyme that is overexpressed in some breast tumours.
PTPRD is a member of the protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) family of molecules, which aid in the regulation of numerous cellular functions. They accomplish this by collaborating with enzymes known as kinases to regulate the behaviour of other proteins within cells. Kinases are enzymes that add tiny chemical regulators known as phosphates to proteins. PTPs remove them.
Disruptions in the addition or removal of phosphates can contribute to inflammation, diabetes, and cancer. Some disruptions can be corrected with kinase-blocking drugs.
“People have targeted kinases for 25, 30 years,” Tonks explains.