Tardigrade Protein Shows Potential to Protect Healthy Cells During Radiation Therapy

Researchers have demonstrated that a protein from tardigrades can reduce radiation damage in mice, offering hope for safer cancer treatments and other applications.

• Scientists have identified a tardigrade protein, Dsup, that protects DNA from radiation damage by binding to DNA strands and preventing breaks.
• Using mRNA technology, researchers enabled cells in mice to temporarily produce Dsup, reducing radiation-induced DNA damage by 50% in targeted areas.
• The protein's protective effect is localized, ensuring that cancerous cells remain vulnerable to radiation therapy while shielding healthy tissue.
• Future research aims to develop a modified version of Dsup to avoid immune responses, with potential applications in cancer therapy, chemotherapy, and astronaut radiation protection.
• The findings, published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, highlight a step toward mitigating side effects for the 60% of cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy.

3 Articles

Interesting Engineering New York Post Gizmodo