Basic research on the development of novel anticancer drugs utilizing bioactive substances from insects

本研究的目的是阐明甲虫来源的抗菌肽攻击某些癌细胞而不攻击正常细胞的作用方式。这些肽被发现与带负电荷的磷脂酰丝氨酸静电相互作用，并破坏一些癌细胞的膜。另一方面，从高砂白蚁Nasutitermes takasagoensis（Shiraki）中分离并鉴定了一个新化合物1，1 '-联苯-3，3'，4-三醇。该化合物具有抑制癌细胞增殖的活性，其作用方式与已知的抗癌药不同

The purpose of this study was to clarify the mode of action of beetle-derived antimicrobial peptides which attack some cancer cells but not normal cells. The peptides were revealed to electrostatically interact with negatively charged phosphatidylserine and disrupt the membrane of some cancer cells. On the other hand, a new compound, 1,1’-biphenyl-3,3’,4-triol was isolated and identified from a termite, Nasutitermes takasagoensis (Shiraki). This compound showed the suppressing activity of cancer cell proliferation, and the mode of action was suggested to be different from those of already-known anticancer drugs