WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Purdue University scientists say two proteins that control plant growth may help explain why human cells reject chemotherapy drugs.
Researchers from Purdue and Kyoto University in Japan have shown for the first time that proteins similar to multi-drug resistant proteins in humans move a plant growth hormone into cells.
Since plant proteins called P-glycoproteins are closely related to human P-glycoproteins that affect chemotherapy effectiveness, discovery of methods to control the plant protein's activity may aid development of therapies to reduce drug dosages administered to cancer patients, said Purdue Plant Cell Biologist Angus Murphy.
"Results of this research will give us a better idea of the functioning of the multi-drug resistance process in which human cancer cells reject anticancer treatments," Murphy said.
Murphy is corresponding author of the study published in the November issue of Plant Cell. He also is corresponding author of a related article published in October's Plant Journal.
"The findings of these two studies have important implications for biomedicine because we now can identify the parts of these proteins that determine whether cells take up or throw off different molecules, such as cancer drugs," Murphy said.
