I am not popular for searching some new proteins, or saying I found xxxxy, xxxd, xxxf, but I want to know how searching a new protein or peptide can be valuable, when we already know thousands of them and can't even memorize them. We just copy and paste them during manuscript writing, and so on. Especially in the situation when we know Bax causes cell death and also is required for survival (mutant studies).
The major purpose of signaling pathway research is to identify the cancer therapeutic targets. To be sure, it is important to find out the novel signal transduction molecule, but the better understanding of the signal cross-talk is useful for the alternative activation of another signaling pathway. For instance, some population of the SCC (squamous cancer cells) acquires the resistance to EGFR inhibitor. In that case, to know that the resistant clone is susceptible to xCT inhibitor, SSZ.
(Ref; Cancer Res. 2013 Mar 15;73(6):1855-66. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-12-3609-T. Epub 2013 Jan 14. xCT inhibition depletes CD44v-expressing tumor cells that are resistant to EGFR-targeted therapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.)
Basic research, including discovering and elucidating the role of previously unknown biological molecules, is the foundation on which applied research is built. More information is always desirable.
Very interesting to find out the roles played by the scaffold proteins in regulating the various signalling cascades. Also, all proteins are directly/indirectly connected to and interact with someone or the other, making the complex network so fascinating and interesting. This network grows with the discovery of new proteins and connections.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Biological Science
- Molecular Biology
- Biomolecules
- Proteins