Atlanta, Georgia (OBBeC) – Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a new computer-based method of analyzing cellular activity. According to the report, the new method has been used to correctly predict the anti-tumour activity of several molecules.

Research published this week in BioMed Central's open access journal Molecular Cancer describes 'CoMet' – a tool that studies the integrated machinery of the cell and predicts those components that will have an effect on cancer.

Jeffrey Skolnick, in collaboration with John McDonald, led a team from the Georgia Institute of Technology who have developed this new strategy. As Skolnick explains, "This opens up the possibility of novel therapeutics for cancer and develops our understanding of why such metabolites work. CoMet provides a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms of cancer".

According to the authors "By comparing the gene expression levels of cancer cells relative to normal cells and converting that information into the enzymes that produce metabolites, CoMet predicts metabolites that have lower concentrations in cancer relative to normal cells".

The research proves that by adding such putatively depleted metabolites to cancer cells, they exhibit anticancer properties. In this case, growth of leukemia cells was slowed by all nine of the metabolites suggested by CoMet. The future for this treatment looks bright, in McDonald's words, "While we have only performed cell proliferation assays, it is reasonable to speculate that some metabolites may also exhibit many other anticancer properties. These could be important steps on the road to a cure".