In their quest
for a cancer cure, researchers at the Duke Cancer Institute made a
serendipitous discovery—a molecule necessary for cheaper and greener ways to
produce nylon.

The finding, described
in Nature Chemical Biology, arose
from an intriguing notion that some of the genetic and chemical changes in
cancer tumors might be harnessed for beneficial uses.

“In our lab, we
study genetic changes that cause healthy tissues to go bad and grow into
tumors. The goal of this research is to understand how the tumors develop in
order to design better treatments,” says Zachary J. Reitman, PhD, an associate
in research at Duke and lead author of the study. “As it turns out, a bit of
information we learned in that process paves the way for a better method to
produce nylon.”

Nylon is a
ubiquitous material, used in carpeting, upholstery, auto parts, apparel, and
other products. A key component for its production is adipic acid, which is one
of the most widely used chemicals in the world. Currently, adipic acid is
produced from fossil fuel, and the pollution released from the refinement
process is a leading contributor to global warming.

Reitman says he
and colleagues delved into the adipic acid problem based on similarities
between cancer research techniques and biochemical engineering. Both fields
rely on enzymes, which are molecules that convert one small chemical to
another. Enzymes play a major role in both healthy tissues and in tumors, but
they are also used to convert organic matter into synthetic materials such as
adipic acid.

One of the most
promising approaches being studied today for environmentally friendly adipic
acid production uses a series of enzymes as an assembly line to convert cheap
sugars into adipic acid. However, one critical enzyme in the series, called a
2-hydroxyadipate dehydrogenase, has never been produced, leaving a missing link
in the assembly line.

This is where the
cancer research comes in. In 2008 and 2009, Duke researchers, including Hai
Yan, MD, PhD, identified a genetic mutation in glioblastomas and other brain
tumors that alters the function of an enzyme known as an isocitrate
dehydrogenase.

Reitman and colleagues
had a hunch that the genetic mutation seen in cancer might trigger a similar
functional change to a closely related enzyme found in yeast and bacteria
(homoisocitrate dehydrogenase), which would create the elusive 2-hydroxyadipate
dehydrogenase necessary for “green” adipic acid production.

They were
right. The functional mutation observed in cancer could be constructively
applied to other closely related enzymes, creating a beneficial outcome—in this
case the missing link that could enable adipic acid production from cheap
sugars. The next step will be to scale up the overall adipic acid production
process, which remains a considerable undertaking.

“It’s exciting
that sequencing cancer genomes can help us to discover new enzyme activities,” Reitman
says. “Even genetic changes that occur in only a few patients could reveal
useful new enzyme functions that were not obvious before.”

Yan, a
professor in the Department of Pathology and senior author of the study, says
the research demonstrates how an investment in medical research can be applied
broadly to solve other significant issues of the day.

“This is the
result of a cancer researcher thinking outside the box to produce a new enzyme
and create a precursor for nylon production,” Yan says. “Not only is this
discovery exciting, it reaffirms the commitment we should be making to science
and to encouraging young people to pursue science.”

Source: Duke University