Wiest and team synthesize cancer-curing enzyme
By HELENA PAYNE
Assistant News Editor
A team of researchers headed by Notre Dame professor Olaf Wiest are trying to synthesize an artificial enzyme that could repair sun-damaged DNA that causes some skin cancers.
"This is basic research that is all about trying to understand how this works and maybe — and this is a big maybe — making this more useful down the road," Wiest said.
Wiest and his team of researchers have been attempting to build a molecule to mimic the enzyme that repairs damage.
The enzyme Wiest is attempting to synthesize is found in many different organisms in all three biological kingdoms. But although E-coli and the South American possum have the enzyme, humans do not.
"It's pretty clear at this point that humans don't have it," said Wiest. "If humans don't have a `maybe' we can make something to replace it."
The research to synthesize the enzyme is based at the University's Walther Cancer Research Center, but Wiest works with people within and outside of the U.S.
"We're just one of the labs that are working on the chemical aspect of this, but there are people from all over the place," said Wiest.
Other countries with teams conducting similar research include Vietnam, Germany and France.
So far, Wiest's group has come out with a molecule that could work with the skin, which he said is a very simple system. Thus, he said he hopes to use the smaller system that his group has created to build a larger system.
"Our understanding on how the thing actually works is probably correct," Wiest said. "You work your way up until you come up with a biological system as close as possible."
Wiest directs the group, which currently includes four post doctorates of research, eight graduate students and two undergraduate students.
Dr. Rudy Navari, director of the Walther Cancer Research Center said that the skin research should promote awareness among people in the U.S. about the dangers of skin cancer.
Navari, an oncologist for 20 years has seen several cancer cases and said many societal activities, such as tanning, has allowed the sun to cause a great deal of damage to the skin.
"The rate of increase in skin cancer is higher than any other rate we've seen," said Navari. "This kind of work will raise a level of awareness that there are risks out there."
In the center, there are various cancer research projects that scientists are conducting simultaneously, but Navari coordinates the projects and looks for areas of funding.
Since Wiest's project is one of many at the Center, Navari said that scientists are conducting a lot more research on campus than one would believe.
"If people think about the science that is going on at Notre Dame, they wouldn't necessarily think that Notre Dame is working on cancer research, but in fact we are. Five years ago, we weren't," said Navari.
Wiest came to Notre Dame in 1995 and has been researching ways to combat skin cancer since that time.
His project is still in its early stages, but Wiest said the progress is promising.
"Of course, people ask, `When are you going to be on the market with the drug?'" Wiest said. "It's absolutely impossible to say when that is going on [the market]."
In the next stage of the project, Wiest and others will make a real piece of DNA with the sun damage to arrive closer to something that can be used in the human body.
"This is what science is all about," said Wiest. "You answer one question, you get two more."
All News Stories for Wednesday, September 19, 2001
