Avid Bioservices Inc (CDMO)

[hutschi]

I´v got that articele from a friend - i´s from March 2013/Austrian newspaper.
I used Google to translate it into English

And again: it is PS - PHOSPHATIDYLSERIN

That´s the link:
http://derstandard.at/1362108241498/Krebskiller-aus-der-Muttermilch

Cancer killer of breast milk

Doris Griesser
March 12, 2013 , 18:30


A skin cancer cell , before and after treatment with the anti-tumor peptide : the formation of bubbles , and the red dye ( . RE) , capable of being received only by a damaged cell membrane , show that the cell death was initiated.
500x298 enlarge
photo : uni graz


A skin cancer cell , before and after treatment with the anti-tumor peptide : the formation of bubbles , and the red dye ( . RE) , capable of being received only by a damaged cell membrane , show that the cell death was initiated.


Tiny protein substances from the mother's milk are masters of natural immune defense - Graz researchers now want to use these peptides to the unerring control of hardly treatable cancers

The cancer therapy makes significant progress - and yet still half of all cancers is not completely curable . The disease may be years after treatment, recurrence , it can metastasize , and often have conventional therapies because of their poor marksmanship massive side effects .

A major goal of cancer research is therefore the development of specific therapies that destroy only the cancer cells but not healthy cells pull the affected. Scientists from the Department of Biophysics at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at the Karl - Franzens - University Graz pursue a new strategy , in which they make human immune defense peptides for targeted cancer fighting cells fit .

Charge differences

One of these small proteins that have already taken preliminary studies very close look at the Graz researchers , is the lactoferricin occurring in breast milk . This natural immune defense peptide with its antibacterial and antiseptic effect destroys cancer cells without harming healthy tissue . The peptides dissolve the cancer cells own cell death inhibition and thus make practical aid for cancer cell suicide . The cause of their accuracy is how the researchers were able to demonstrate in a project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF project , in charge differences of peptides and the membrane surface of cancer cells . The positively charged peptides target due to the electrostatic interaction of the negatively charged membrane of the cancer cell surface and penetrate into them , while ignoring healthy cells with their neutral lipids in the outer membrane layer .

"I and my colleague Sabrina Riedl showed that cancer cells, the negatively charged phospholipid phosphatidylserine (PS ) in contrast to healthy cells on the outside of its membrane wear ," explains project manager Dagmar Zweytick . In various processes, such as in the formation of a cancer cell , namely, the negatively charged lipid folded outward and is in this way a reliable biomarker from . This in the professional world until the publication of Graz findings often doubted fact is of enormous importance , as it indicates the often difficult path for a targeted cancer treatment

In fact, we found that negatively charged lipid not only on the cell membrane of cell lines of various cancers , but also in the metastatic cells and primary cancer cells ," says Zweytick . In addition, the study suggests different skin tumors suggests that the exposed PS content with the malignancy of the tissue increases.

Brain tumor and melanoma

" In our biophysical studies, we were able to prove that the effective and selective for cancer cells actually use PS peptides as targets also . " On the basis of these revolutionary findings , the researchers have upgraded the cancer defense peptide lactoferricin for his fight against two particularly difficult to treat cancers : the malignant brain tumor ( glioblastoma ) and malignant melanoma , metastatic to skin cancer .

" We have the peptides initially , then optimized in model studies in cell cultures for these incurable cancers ," says Zweytick . " We have two derived from human lactoferricin peptide active ingredients selected and modified so that they developed a specific toxicity against glioblastoma and melanoma . " Meanwhile, the work is so far advanced that the human peptide derivatives in the current , also funded by the FWF project can be tested together with Beate Rinner of the Medical University of Graz in mice and further improved.

But why the natural peptides need to be changed at all ? " Since the peptides are fitted by nature only to ward off the first risk by bacteria , viruses or even cancer , they would fight against such a massive tumor lose ," said the scientist . " Due to our optimizations , we want to increase the effect of the peptides corresponding and simultaneously preventing the use of higher doses is toxic to healthy cells . "

Compared with chemotherapy , human peptide derivatives for the treatment of cancer have enormous advantages : " chemotherapy ," says Zweytick , " usually act on fast-growing cells - which are unfortunately not only the cancer cells is why it often leads to severe side effects that can be . . avoid with peptides , since they only attack cells carrying the negatively charged PS outside. " Even cancers that are as malignant melanoma to chemotherapy largely resistant , to be treatable using optimized peptides . And yet a great advantage have antitumor peptides : You can even find mutated cancer cells with altered genetic information .

However, the way these groundbreaking findings in the clinics is still a relatively continues: " The first step is done by filing a European patent application though, but we still need to improve the effectiveness and stability of the peptides so that they can really capture all the cancer cells," attenuates Dagmar Zweytick too impatient expectations . Are these challenges overcome , the valuable knowledge to be handed over to a drug company - to carry out the very expensive clinical trials.