Antibiotic tautomycetin offers potential for anti-cancer activity

An antibiotic known for its immunosuppressive functions could also point the way to the development of new anti-cancer agents, researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine have reported.

The study determined that the compound, tautomycetin, targets an enzyme called SHP2, which plays an important role in cell activities such as proliferation and differentiation. Interestingly, SHP2 mutations are also known to cause several types of leukemia and solid tumors. The findings were reported in the January 28 issue of the journal Chemistry and Biology.

Tautomycetin is a discovery of UK headquartered Tocris Bioscience, a supplier of high performance life science reagents, peptides and antibodies, with customers in virtually all of the world's major pharmaceutical companies, universities and research institutes. Funding for the research was supplied by the USA’s National Institutes of Health.