HIV Protein Activates Apoptosis in Cancer Cells

Researchers at Washington School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered a way to get cancer cells to kill themselves. They have found this by using a portion of an HIV protein called TAT. TAT is a biological transporter that is capable of transporting large molecules around cells. Therefore, when TAT is bound with Bim, a tumor suppression molecule, the cell will go through apoptosis.

Although TAT is from an HIV protein, research has shown it to be very safe. This portion of the protein alone is not capable of causing AIDS. Studies in mice have shown the TAT-Bim combination to be very effective in treating cancers. The goal is to create numerous proteins similar to Bim so that multiple types of cancer can be treated. Currently, the researchers are developing a technique to target specifically cancer cells. Their main focus has been on linking anti-cancer proteins to tracer molecules which will only bind to cancerous cells. They aim at running clinical trials on humans in the next few years.