Proteins may act as flags for cancer drugs

PROTEINS found on the outside of cancer cells could be targeted by a drug “guidance system” which seeks out and destroys the disease, scientists said yesterday.

Researchers from the University of Texas said the stress response proteins could be used to target drug treatments where they would have the most effect.

Their research showed how protein tags unique to cancer could be found, allowing the drug delivery system to be “tweaked” to zero in on the tags and destroy the cells.