Researchers at the U. of I. first identified PAC-1 as a potential anti-cancer compound in the early 2000s when they discovered that it could switch on a pathway that is suppressed in cancer cells. The first step of this pathway involves the conversion of procaspase-3, a protein found in most cells, into caspase-3, an enzyme that, when activated, initiates programmed cell death.
Led by chemistry professor Paul Hergenrother, the U. of I. team also recognized that procaspase-3 occurs in greater abundance in many cancer cells relative to healthy tissues. That characteristic, along with its tendency to not be activated in cancer cells, made it a good target for anti-cancer therapies.
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