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Scientists have discovered a way to use light to destroy cancer cells.

Researchers have recently created a peptide (a small piece of protein), linked to a light-responsive dye, capable of turning 'on' death pathways in cancer cells. However, the peptide will remain inactive until exposed to external light pulses that convert it into a cell death signal.

Healthy cells protect the body from developing cancer by activating complex mechanisms. However, uncontrolled cell growth occurs when the networks of interactions between proteins that control these mechanisms are disturbed.

Researchers from Cardiff University have developed a peptide-switch to alter critical interactions in B-cell lymphoma cancer cells in a 'smart' and controlled way.  The method, called transient photoactivation, helps identify cells normally resistant to chemotherapy. Researchers said this would lead to the development of more effective treatment strategies.

"Whilst killing cancer cells is a goal in itself, this is also proof of a wider principle. Directing therapeutic peptides to the precise location where they are required can be difficult, but activating peptides with light will allow us to precisely define the area where we wish a peptide to act," lead researcher Rudolf Allemann of Cardiff University's School of Chemistry said in a news release.

"Our research demonstrates that we can control cellular processes with light, which has implications for research in biology and medicine, as our tools can be used to understand the inner workings of cells and to work out how to correct misfiring pathways that lead to disease," Allemann added.

"This work may eventually lead to photo-controlled drugs and tools to probe molecular interactions in intact cells and whole organisms with enormous consequences for biomedical research," he concluded.

The findings are published in the journal Molecular Biosystems.