Uncommon Descent Serving The Intelligent Design Community

Even cancer cells show more design than we might expect

Share
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Flipboard
Print
Email

An unsettling thought but it might provide clues to treatment:

For more than 40 years, scientists have hypothesized the existence of enzyme clusters, or “metabolons,” in facilitating various processes within cells. Using a novel imaging technology combined with mass spectrometry, researchers at Penn State, for the first time, have directly observed functional metabolons involved in generating purines, the most abundant cellular metabolites. The findings could lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies that disrupt the progression of cancer.

“Our study suggests that enzymes are not haphazardly located throughout cells, but instead occur in discrete clusters, or metabolons, that carry out specific metabolic pathways,” said Stephen Benkovic, Evan Pugh University Professor and Eberly Chair in Chemistry. “Not only did we find proof that metabolons exist, but we also found that this metabolon occurs near mitochondria in cancer cells.”

Sara LaJeunesse, “Study finds evidence for existence of elusive ‘metabolon’” at Penn State News

Paper. (paywall)

Comments

Leave a Reply