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Teenager's Cancer Breakthrough Targets Protein Without Harm
26 Aug
Summary
- A 17-year-old developed a novel method to halt cancer cell growth.
- The research targets a key protein's harmful activity in specific cancers.
- This method avoids damaging healthy cells by preserving protein function.
A 17-year-old student has developed a groundbreaking method to inhibit cancer cell proliferation, earning national acclaim. Ashka Shah, a senior at Jericho High School, devised a technique that targets the detrimental actions of a crucial protein implicated in cancer development. This precision approach ensures that the protein's essential roles in healthy tissues are preserved, marking a significant stride in oncology research.
Shah's project centers on the Wnt signalling pathway and the protein beta-catenin. While this protein is vital for cell structure, its mutated form can promote aggressive tumour growth. By identifying a helper protein, Gid8, that facilitates mutant beta-catenin's entry into the cell nucleus, Shah developed a peptide to block this transport. This intervention halts the cancer-driving activity without compromising the protein's structural functions in healthy cells.
This innovative research earned Shah a finalist position in the prestigious Regeneron Science Talent Search, one of the oldest science competitions for American high school students. Competing against thousands of applicants, her project, 'Selective Dual Inhibition of beta-Catenin in Wnt-Driven Cancers via Gid8-Assisted Translocation and a Precision Peptide-Based Gene Therapy,' highlights a promising new avenue for targeted cancer therapies.
