MS/MS used in cancer study

Scientists have used tandem affinity purification and mass spectrometry (MS/MS) processes to investigate the relationship between Snail and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

In a Korea-based study published by the BMC Biology journal, the team noted that HCC is a common and highly invasive malignant tumour which can quite often be fatal.

The scientists explained that the aberrant expression of Snail via activation of reactive oxygen species increases the invasive nature of HCC but they sought to determine if it had an effect on the tumour's ability to promote oncogenic transformation and cancer cell invasion.

Using MS/MS the team assessed cells that stably expressed Snail and identified Notch1 intracellular domain (NICD) as a novel Snail-binding partner.

"Our study demonstrates that NICD can oppose Snail dependent HCC cell invasion by binding and inducing proteolytic degradation of Snail," the report concluded.

Although Notch signalling and Snail are both considered to promote tumours, their appearance, particularly conjointly, needs to be carefully considered, the team explained.

Posted by Fiona Griffiths