Geneva Researchers Discover Potential For Targeted Cancer Drug Delivery

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Researchers in Geneva have determined how some harmful bacteria introduce dangerous enzymes into host cells. They now want to use this discovery to deliver drugs directly to cancer cells.

This content was published on February 5, 2025 - 10:47 2 minutes Keystone-SDA

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This discovery could lead to the development of new drugs that block this mechanism and fight bacterial infections. It also opens up possibilities for eco-friendly biopesticides that target pests without harming other organisms, the University of Geneva announced on Tuesday.

Certain harmful bacteria use Tc toxins to inject their toxic enzymes into host cells. These toxins work like molecular syringes: they attach to a cell membrane, open a protein envelope and then inject the harmful substances directly. In their study, published in the scientific journal Science Advances, researchers from Switzerland and Germany have shown for the first time that this process occurs through several intermediate stages.

Structural changes of Tc toxins

Changes in pH or binding to receptors trigger the protective protein envelope to open. Immediately after, a protein channel forms in the target cell, allowing the toxic enzyme to enter. The study found that this entire process can take up to 30 hours.

The researchers used a mix of cryogenic electron microscopy, single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy and electron spin resonance spectroscopy to identify the exact injection mechanism. These high-resolution techniques allowed them to observe the structural changes of the Tc toxins in real time and analyse their different intermediate stages in detail.

Translated from German with DeepL/sp

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