F@h & scientists boost potency of cancer-treating protein

[Jesse_V]

There's a new blog post today:
http://folding.typepad.com/news/2012/03 ... -trea.html

The Stanford article that Pande cites is a bit technical, but let me see if I understand it correctly:

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a very important protein and causes the growth of T cells, which as part of the immune system can attack pathogens and tumors, so in some cases it can indirectly cure cancer. Unfortunately its use is restricted due to serious side effects such as swelling of the lungs, which makes breathing difficult. IL-2 binds to the cells that cause this side effect differently than it binds to the T cells that attack cancer, so naturally scientists want to find a form of IL-2 that connects properly to the T cells without activating those other cells. When IL-2 binds to the T cell, it must first contact a rare protein which causes it to refold allowing it to bind to a second protein. Together with simulations from Folding@home, Garcia et al found a form of IL-2 called Super-2 that binds 300 times better to the T cells than the regular IL-2 and effectively bypasses contacting the first rare protein. Super-2 significantly outperformed IL-2 in indirectly attacking cancer, but has the same chances of activating those side-effect cells than regular IL-2, which means that a smaller dose will be equally effective at increasing T cells but won't set off those side effects. Super-2 is currently being tested in the hopes of fast-tracking its development on the way to human trials.

Pretty awesome I'd say!

[Stonecold]

But isn't IL-2 the cytokine that causes that crappy feeling you get when you're sick? I think it affects the brain and makes us sluggish and nauseous to prevent us from being active and using up energy that otherwise could be used to fight off infection. Hopefully this artificial version won't do that.

[Jesse_V]

But isn't IL-2 the cytokine that causes that crappy feeling you get when you're sick? I think it affects the brain and makes us sluggish and nauseous to prevent us from being active and using up energy that otherwise could be used to fight off infection. Hopefully this artificial version won't do that.

Uhhh I really have no idea... Good thing there's Google. The first two links of "Interleukin-2 sick feeling" confirm your question. Since Super-2 is more effective, they can use a dose that doesn't activate those other lung cells. I didn't see anything about that in the article, but I would guess that the other side effects such as "that really crappy feeling when you're sick" would be reduced or eliminated as well. Hopefully...

[Stonecold]

But isn't IL-2 the cytokine that causes that crappy feeling you get when you're sick? I think it affects the brain and makes us sluggish and nauseous to prevent us from being active and using up energy that otherwise could be used to fight off infection. Hopefully this artificial version won't do that.

Uhhh I really have no idea... Good thing there's Google. The first two links of "Interleukin-2 sick feeling" confirm your question. Since Super-2 is more effective, they can use a dose that doesn't activate those other lung cells. I didn't see anything about that in the article, but I would guess that the other side effects such as "that really crappy feeling when you're sick" would be reduced or eliminated as well. Hopefully...

Well even if they weren't and that was a side affect, I'd sure prefer that to chemotherapy (assuming the modified IL-2 would act as a replacement and not simply augments it)!

[bruce]

But isn't IL-2 the cytokine that causes that crappy feeling you get when you're sick? I think it affects the brain and makes us sluggish and nauseous to prevent us from being active and using up energy that otherwise could be used to fight off infection.

Though the article isn't specific, I think I'd call that "as a drug to treat advanced cancers [it] is limited by the severe side effects it sometimes causes."

Hopefully this artificial version won't do that.

. . . at least there might be a low enough dose that it can treat the cancer but doesn't make you feel so sluggish/nauseous.

It certainly sounds like an important discovery. Thanks, everybody, for helping make this possible.

[verlyol]

I just read a large part of this publication, and I must say that this discovery is really extraordinary !!

It's good to see such important results like that...

Fold on folks !

[VijayPande]

It's worth stressing that Dr. Garcia and his lab are the driving force behind this work (and deserve the lion share of credit by far), but we were excited to be able to make a contribution to it!

[Jonazz]

What projects were involved in this?

[verlyol]

Of course Prof. Pande, but donors are very happy to know that folding@home to part of the success of the lab of Dr. Garcia.

[Jesse_V]

A recent and interesting update with further information: http://folding.typepad.com/news/2012/05 ... owman.html

[Jonazz]

a protein called IL-2 can help stimulate an immune response, so in theory giving people with diseases like immune deficiencies IL-2 could be tremendously helpful

Could this improve current aids therapies?