Jung-Whan Kim, a biologist at The University of Texas at Dallas, discovered that two enzymes linked to keeping cancer cells alive, can work in tandem to spur cancer growth.
Here's what you need to know.
1. NQO1 and HIF-1a protect the body from free radicals and environmental toxins.\
2. In many cancers these enzymes are present in overabundant quantities. According to a release, elevated NQO1 levels are associated with poor prognoses in breast, colon, cervical, lung and pancreatic cancer.
3. Dr. Kim conducted a series of experiments to see what protein would interact with HIF-1a. They found that NQO1 will bind with HIF-1a to form a complex.
4. In a cancer cell when the two bind, NQO1 regulates HIF-1a by stabilizing it, preventing it from downgrading.
5. The researchers examined colorectal cancer cells and found a high correlation between NQO1 and HIF-1a confirming that the enzymes interact.
6. The researchers performed a follow-up study where they eliminated NQO1 in colorectal and breast cancer cells and injected them into mice with immune systems capable of growing human cancer. They saw the tumor levels drop in the mice that received cancer cells without NQO1.