Bridie Smith THE AGE
March 9, 2012
AUSTRALIAN researchers have uncovered the behaviour and structure of a tiny enzyme that can bust blood clots, raising the potential for improved treatments for conditions such as stroke and some cancers.
Working with Australian Synchrotron scientists, James Whisstock and his colleagues from Monash University's biochemistry and molecular biology department have also been able to establish how the enzyme goes from passive to active.
Their findings, published in Cell Reports today, outline how a protein called plasminogen is converted into plasmin, the enzyme that removes disease-causing clots while also clearing up damaged tissue.
''People who suffer unwanted clots develop conditions like heart attacks and strokes,'' Professor Whisstock said.
However, he said the drugs that were used to remove clots after a heart attack or stroke were ''not that brilliant'' because they came with the risk of excessive bleeding. ''People don't really understand how these drugs work. But we now have a very good idea how these drugs function and we can literally start designing ways to try to make existing drugs better.''
Establishing the behaviour and structure of the enzyme is also likely to have spinoffs for cancer treatments, as plasmin is responsible for breaking down tissue barriers in some types of cancers. ''In the case of cancer, you want to stop it working on the surface of cells,'' Professor Whisstock said, ''because it breaks down the tissue cells and allows the cancer to spread.''
The Australian Synchrotron's Tom Caradoc-Davies said the extremely intense X-ray crystallography beamline at the Synchrotron made it possible to determine the atomic structure of plasminogen.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/national/scientists-uncover-clotbusting-enzyme-20120309-1unqm.html#ixzz1pYYkPOtz