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Coiled in a space-saving way:the DNA strand is coiled around protein spheres ("histones") like a curler.
Courtesy: Joseph Roland. |
The DNA strand is very tightly coiled – like a curler.
But when certain information is to be read from the storage medium DNA, the DNA strand must at least partly uncurl from the histones.The corresponding section must be easy to access so that the small tools that are responsible for reading the DNA can dock onto this region.
Often this is the core of the problem: normal body cells frequently change into cancer cells because a programming error has crept in – a disorder which causes the protein slices to stay close togetherThe genes can no longer be read because the reading device can hardly reach them.
By inhibiting the enzyme histone deacetylase, valproic acid sees to it that the protein structures move somewhat away from each other. The DNA is then not as tightly packed.
Now the reading device can again read these genes that are important for the maturation and development of the cell. Thus, in many cases, cancer cells become normal cells again.
"In experiments, that has already functioned successfully, both in trials with cultured cancer cells and also with leukemia cells taken from patients. "Valproic acid has a varying beneficial effect depending on the type of cancer," Dr. Heinzel explained. "The treatment of leukemia, colon cancer and especially melanoma, the malignant skin cancer, appears particularly promising."
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