Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have developed a small molecule that can turn the survival signal for a variety of cancer cells into a death signal. The molecule mimics the activity of Smac, a protein that triggers the suicide of some types of cancer cells.

The researchers say their findings suggest that Smac-mimetic compounds could be useful as targeted cancer treatments for lung and other cancers. Such therapy may be less toxic to healthy cells than current compounds used in cancer chemotherapyterm.

“We can take advantage of this phenomenon for potential cancer therapy by switching a signal into a deadly one with Smac mimetics.”
Xiaodong Wang