DNA in a cell is like a long thread that is usually twisted into a double helix. But sometimes this thread ties itself into little knots, like a shoelace. Cancer cells have more of these knots because their DNA is often rearranged. Scientists have found a compound that jams these knots, and then the cell can't function normally and dies.
This compound is called CX-5461. In experiments, it killed testicular cancer cells but didn't harm healthy cells. It made cancer cells accumulate DNA damage and triggered their self-destruct program. It's as if a key jammed the lock only on the doors of cancer cells, while the doors of healthy cells stayed open.
Right now this compound is already being tested against other tumors. Now there's hope that it will also help men with testicular cancer, especially those who weren't helped by the standard drug. Scientists will continue to test how best to use it together with other drugs.
G-quadruplexes are four-stranded DNA structures that form in guanine-rich regions. They resemble stacked square plates and can block the work of enzymes that copy DNA.
Not published on arXiv. Here are its page, the PDF and the formalization: you can check it yourself, not only read our account.