This was going to be a comment on Alex's post about photosensitizers, but I thought I'd elevate it to a full post because its interesting...
Like photodynamic therapy AND fluorescent proteins, and want to put them together? Well, now you can!
Killer Red is a variant of a red FP from coral (maybe sea anenome?). It has been optimized specifically to spew out reactive oxygen species upon irradiation. Any organism which expresses this protein is born to BURN, BABY BURN!
Here's the link: http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v24/n1/abs/nbt1175.html Check it out!
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Thats very interesting Seth. So rather than having to administer the photosensitizers in a drug like fashion, these people have been expressing the "killer red" photosensitizer-like fluorescent protein genetically attached to targeted proteins.
ReplyDeleteAm I right in suggesting that if a widespread disease-specific protein was classified and genetically unique, this could be targeted across the whole of an organism simultaneously?