Metallopanstimulin
Encyclopedia
Metallopanstimulin or "MPS" is a zinc finger
protein proposed to be involved DNA repair
as well as oncogenesis. Its expression is increased in several types of malignancy and MPS levels have been reported to drop with treatment of some cancer
s. It has also been used as a target for some chemotherapies
, which aim to chelate
out the zinc from the zinc finger motif of the MPS, thus yielding it inactive. These therapies have shown promise for the treatment of cancer in laboratory experiments and some limited clinical trial
s. Head and neck cancer transfected to overexpress this protein have demonstrated suppressed growth.
Zinc finger
Zinc fingers are small protein structural motifs that can coordinate one or more zinc ions to help stabilize their folds. They can be classified into several different structural families and typically function as interaction modules that bind DNA, RNA, proteins, or small molecules...
protein proposed to be involved DNA repair
DNA repair
DNA repair refers to a collection of processes by which a cell identifies and corrects damage to the DNA molecules that encode its genome. In human cells, both normal metabolic activities and environmental factors such as UV light and radiation can cause DNA damage, resulting in as many as 1...
as well as oncogenesis. Its expression is increased in several types of malignancy and MPS levels have been reported to drop with treatment of some cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
s. It has also been used as a target for some chemotherapies
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
, which aim to chelate
Chelation
Chelation is the formation or presence of two or more separate coordinate bonds between apolydentate ligand and a single central atom....
out the zinc from the zinc finger motif of the MPS, thus yielding it inactive. These therapies have shown promise for the treatment of cancer in laboratory experiments and some limited clinical trial
Clinical trial
Clinical trials are a set of procedures in medical research and drug development that are conducted to allow safety and efficacy data to be collected for health interventions...
s. Head and neck cancer transfected to overexpress this protein have demonstrated suppressed growth.