Naturally-Derived Cancer Drugs Provide Clues As To How Microbiome May Cause Chemotherapy Resistance

A new study published today in the journal Cell Chemical Biology showed that some organisms can use a certain set of proteins to bind the toxic substances they produce, which stops them affecting the rest of the organism. The work focused on a particular class of natural products called enediynes, produced by soil bacteria called actinomycetes, two of which are currently FDA-approved cancer therapies; Pfizer's Mylotarg and Besponsa, both for different types of leukemia.