Fighting Cancer at the Molecular Level

What am I looking at?

This is a 3D reconstruction of the structure of the p57 protein, which is present in many different cell types in the body. Each of the colors represents a different subunit (individual section) of the protein. The small molecule (1) at the center of the red area (2) is a new drug candidate that blocks the function of this protein, locking it in an inactive state.

Biology in the Background

Cancer is most often caused by disruption of the processes responsible for controlling and regulating cell division, so cancerous cells divide uncontrollably. Cell division is a complex process that involves many different proteins, including p57, also known as cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1C.  

Researchers have synthesized small molecules that can deactivate p57, stopping cell division. Because cancer cells divide so much, this approach affects cancer cells more than healthy ones.  

This image shows a potential new drug that can block the activity of the p57 protein by locking it in an inactive state. At the correct dosage, this potential drug could force cancerous cells to undergo apoptosis (a form of programmed cell death) while leaving healthy cells relatively untouched.

The p57 protein is about 3 nanometers across, roughly 25,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair.

Technique

This image was created by reconstructing information gathered using cryo-electron microscopy.