Susume Lv 1
The Baker lab have a new paper out in Nature, describing the denovo design of a promising substitute for a natural cancer-fighting protein. The natural protein has toxic properties and is not a good candidate to be given as a medication, so several teams have been trying to develop a subsitute without the toxic properties. Rather than modify the natural protein (which is a bundle of four helices), Silva et al held the binding amino acids constant in space (using Rosetta) and designed a completely new bundle of helices that would present those amino acids in exactly that position to bind the target.
A very nice description of the work in Nature: Designer protein delivers signal of choice
The actual paper (abstract only): De novo design of potent and selective mimics of IL-2 and IL-15 by Silva et al
From UW newsroom: Scientists design protein that prods cancer-fighting T-cells
Article about the company they are spinning off to further develop the protein as a therapeutic: New Seattle startup emerges from UW to develop cancer-fighting protein three decades in the making
