IIT Indore researchers develop cost-effective M-ASPAR enzyme to treat leukemia

ALL is a type of blood cancer that can now be cured with the help of the new asparaginase- an enzyme cultured by IIT-Indore, using the protein engineering approach.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore has taken a leap in the field of medicine by developing an economical means to treat Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) with fewer side-effects. ALL is a type of blood cancer that can now be cured with the help of the new asparaginase- an enzyme cultured by IIT-Indore, using the protein engineering approach. About 25 per cent of all cancer cases diagnosed in children mounting up to 25,000 cases each year, in India itself.

Asparaginase is commonly used for the treatment of cancer, however, IIT-Indore has highlighted that the repeated use of this enzyme causes several side-effects in patients. These range from allergic reactions to neurotoxicity, immunogenicity, hypersensitivity and toxicity to the pancreas, liver, spleen among other organs - causing more harm than help.

As a result, there is a global search to find an asparaginase variant with a safer immunogenic profile than the current enzyme that hampers the treatment of leukemia. Achieving a milestone in this field, the Indian Institute of Indore, developed a new variant called the M-ASPAR asparaginase after 12 years of research. The primary aim was to develop an enzyme variant that could not only reduce grave side effects but also improve the overall primary treatment and relapse of ALL.

The Principal Investigator Professor Avinash Sonawane of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering at IIT-Indore informed that is novel enzyme is less carcinogenic, causes fewer toxicities, including neurotoxicity. It is far more stable than the current asparaginase used for treatment and could kill leukemia cells.

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