News in Press-centre

New protein was discovered by the researchers of Far Eastern Federal University and the National Research Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, from the sea mollusk: Modiolus modiolus (Kurile horsemussel). Unknown before lectin may become the basis for the new technology of cancer diagnostics and—in the future—of cancer therapy. Now, the School of Biomedicine (SBM) and the School of Natural Sciences (SNS) are engaged in decoding molecule gene and are testing its effect on different types of cancer cells.

According to Vadim Kumeyko, the SBM Deputy Director for Development, modiolus Kurile is a relative of mussels, which is widespread in waters of the Far Eastern seas and is not an object of mass fishing. Being led by the SNS Professor Alim Anisimov, they are actively working with the mollusk at the Department of Cell Biology and Genetics within another area: monitoring of waters through studying the condition of marine organisms. But while exploring the immunity of modiolus, young scientists Andrey Grinchenko and Julia Sokolnikova found new protective factor, a protein from a group of lectins, in its hemolymph (a blood analog).

"Lectins can distinguish certain cells by carbohydrates on their surface. It turned out that our new protein "learns the portrait" of carbohydrates of certain types of cancer cells cultured in vitro. This means that due to the mechanism of molecular recognition, lectin could serve as the basis for new technology of cancer diagnosis," said Vadim Kumeyko.

Now under the direction of Nikita Shved, PhD, a fourth-year student of SBM Gregory Malykin is studying the fine specificity of the new protein, i.e. which the cancer cells it "learns", for this technology to be further patented as a new system for diagnosis. Moreover, when conducting experiments, the researchers found that a lectin is able to not only recognize, but also to stimulate cell death.

"We carried out first experiments, and it suppressed precisely at least one cancerous growth line. Of course, it isn't always easy to use proteins as drugs, as they can cause immune response. However, when we tried to obtain the antibodies against the new lectin, by administering it to laboratory animals, a good immune response was not identified. This means that it is likely not rejected by mammals and in future may also be used for some forms of targeted cancer therapy," said Vadim Kumeyko.

Now, in the university laboratories, researchers are engaged in decoding the protein structure and its gene. The fourth-year student of the School of Biomedicine Tatiana Karp is directly involved in the work under the guidance of Vadim Kumeyko. It should be noted that the study of prospective lectin is conducted within the framework of the grant from the Russian Science Foundation, which is dedicated to the study of the molecular mechanisms of recognition of marine organisms for new biomedical technologies (headed by Professor Olga Podgornaya).