It is found that MDM2 gene can cause cancer cell death when it interacts with a specific protein

Recently, published in the journal Molecular Cell published on May 2, 2019, researchers from Mount Sinai Hospital have made a new breakthrough in understanding the MDM2 gene MDM2 is often overexpressed in cancer, and researchers have found that when it interacts with a specific protein, it can lead to cancer cell death Cancer cells are known to change the way they consume and produce energy The exact role and function of MDM2 expression in cancer has not been known to scientists This is partly because MDM2 is not only a carcinogenic gene (a mutation that can transform normal cells into cancer cells), but also a tumor suppressor By studying human cancer cells, Drosophila and genetically engineered mice, the researchers found that when extra copies of MDM2 gene appear in cancer, their presence will destroy the cell process The researchers found that MDM2 can interact with a protein in the mitochondria of cancer cells - mitochondria are the part of cells that generate energy, so they are part of cell life, and this interaction eventually promotes cancer cell death The team found that nutlin-3a is a promising therapeutic drug (http:// which can enhance the interaction between MDM2 and mitochondrial proteins, thus helping to kill cancer cells This study also shows that we can target MDM2 in a new way and promote its interaction with mitochondrial protein of cancer cells, thus stimulating cancer cell death