England (Commonwealth Union) – Proteins, particularly enzymes, have been a key feature in biotechnology. The manipulation of proteins has been of interest for researchers in all areas of biotechnology, primarily industrial and medical biotechnology.
A new technique to evaluate proteins released by cells may bring about the creation of new tools to monitor diseases, including cancer. The method of identifying new ‘biomarker’ proteins was produced by researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and Imperial College London.
Biomarkers have played a significant role in the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases, although, seeking specific biomarkers is a difficult task. To assist in diagnosis, researchers need to mark proteins that are uniquely produced by diseased or cancerous cells but not healthy cells.
In the study, which appeared in Nature Communications, the researchers produced a new method that marks proteins released by a specific type of cell, even if the cells are in a complex atmosphere with a variety of cell types.
Lead author and group leader at the Crick and Imperial College London, Dr Ben Schumann, explained: “When you have a sample containing various cell lines, it is very difficult to identify the proteins that came from a specific line. Of course, in the laboratory, we can create experiments with only one type of cell, however these conditions do not mirror what happens in the body where complex interactions between cells could affect their behaviour and so the proteins they release.”
The new method is revolving around adding chemical tags to sugar molecules, which are added to cells. While every cell takes in the sugar, the scientists genetically modify the cell type they want to evaluate, so that only this type adds the sugar to its proteins. When the cells make these proteins, they stay labelled with the chemical tag, paving the way for researchers to identify them.
