PPP1R1B protein is responsible for pancreatic cancer, Dr Anindya Bagchi says. Photo Courtesy – YouTube
Dr Anindya Bagchi has found that a protein called PPP1R1B in pancreatic cells is responsible for cancer. Scientists have pointed out a novel drug target that ends metastasis (overgrow of cells) in pancreas. It could be the first step to target the protein for the treatment of the deadliest cancers. The research was conducted at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in the United States.
There has been a lot of research on pancreatic cancer in the last few years. The enzymes that are required for metabolism are secreted from the pancreas. If the cells of the pancreas develop irregularly, it becomes very critical to save the patient. Generally, the life span of a pancreatic cancer patient is not more than five years.
An Indian scientist has been doing research for a long time to find a cure for this complex cancer. His name is Dr Anindya Bagchi. He has been studying in the United States and has come up with ways to control this complex cancer.
Dr Anindya Bagchi says that this PPP1R1B protein divides the cell and forms a ‘malignant tumour’ from which the infection spreads throughout the pancreas. Therefore, once the formation of this protein is stopped, the growth of cancer cells will stop. This is the concept of his research.
Video Courtesy – YouTube
Dr Bagchi is a graduate in Biochemistry from the University of Calcutta, holds a PhD in Genetics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. His subject in post-doctoral research was ‘Cancer Genetics’. He began teaching at the University of Minnesota in 2008 after acquiring a post-doctoral degree from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York. He is currently researching on pancreatic cancer at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute. He is also the co-director of the Mouse Genetics Laboratory, Minnesota. The other director of this laboratory is Douglas Yee, MD.
A protein that attacks the pancreas
Dr Bagchi saw that a protein was being made in the cells of the rats which was causing the cancer cells to grow further. This protein was identified by the scientist and his team. Its name is PPP1R1B. The scientist then removed this protein from the cells of the pancreas.
Read: The danger of the post-corona state with damaged heart and brain
That is done in a complex scientific process. Simply to say, the scientist drove the gene out of the cell that codes the protein. After that, it was seen that the growth of cancer cells was decreasing. Dr Bagchi says that this protein is one of the major causes of pancreatic cancer.
The irregular growth of the cells will stop if the protein can be prevented. The infection will not be able to spread to the surrounding cells also. This time, drugs can be made from the ingredient that can block this protein.
Dr Anindya Bagchi has given a light of hope in the way of treatment for pancreatic cancer. He said that they are researching ingredients that can counteract this protein. Those elements will be identified very soon. If drugs are made from it, pancreatic cancer can be cured and the death rate will be reduced.
Pinaki Krishna Ghosh is an IT professional and has spent many years in the IT industry. He has a deep passion for writing. Presently, he is writing for Bigumbrella Magazine.
