for now!Scientists use artificial DNA to kill cancer cells: here’s what you need to know

Researchers have discovered a new way to kill cancer cells using artificial DNA. This may pave the way for future treatments of the disease. Existing methods of treating cancer have limitations, but scientists believe that RNA- and DNA-based drugs can potentially kill deadly diseases. We think it might help us beat it.

The findings, published last week in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, show that researchers at the University of Tokyo have used chemically synthesized hairpin-shaped cancer-killing DNA to target cancer cells from human cervical and breast cancers. It shows that it targeted and killed cancer. cell. DNA pairs were also used against malignant melanoma cells in mice.

A team of researchers from the University of Tokyo, led by Assistant Professor Kunihiko Morihiro and Professor Akimitsu Okamoto of the Graduate School of Engineering, has shown that the use of artificial DNA has inspired them to break away from conventional anti-cancer treatments.

This has been difficult in the past, especially given that nucleic acid (i.e. DNA and RNA) drugs are not typically used in cancer therapy and it is difficult to distinguish between cancer cells and other healthy cells. did.

Therefore, there was a risk of adversely affecting the patient’s immune system if healthy cells were mistakenly attacked. “I thought that if we could create a new drug that works by a mechanism of action different from that of conventional drugs, it might be effective against cancers that were previously untreatable,” said Dr. Okamoto.

This allowed the researchers to develop the first hairpin-shaped strand of DNA that could activate a natural immune response that targets and kills specific cancer cells.

Cancer cells can overexpress. This means that too many copies of proteins such as RNA, DNA, or other substances are made and they can no longer function properly, contributing to the development of cancer. So, to not only curb this growth, but prevent it, a team in Tokyo created what they called artificial oncolytic agents, the aforementioned DNA pair called oHP.

After hairpin-shaped DNA was injected into cancer cells, oHPs began to form longer DNA strands when they encountered a microRNA called miR-21, which is overproduced in certain cancers. response. Moreover, these long DNA strands could not only kill cancer cells, but also prevent cancer tissue from growing further.

Normally, oHPs do not form longer strands due to their curved hairpin shape, but in this case, artificial oHPs can overcome this limitation and can bind to target microRNAs to form longer strands. opened. According to the study, this causes the immune system to recognize the presence of overexpressed miR-21 as dangerous, triggering an innate immune response that leads to cancer cell death.

What type of cancer was it effective against?

In this study, we found the test to be effective against overexpressed miR-21 found in human cervical cancer-derived cells, human triple-negative breast cancer-derived cells, and mouse malignant melanoma-derived cells.

In a statement, Okamoto said the formation of DNA strands through the interaction of short DNA oHPs with overexpressed miR-21 was the first of its use as a “selective immune amplification response that can target tumor regression.” said to be an example of

The researchers also noted how the interactions the research team discovered provide “a new class of nucleic acid drug candidates with completely different mechanisms than known nucleic acid drugs.”

Furthermore, this research is expected to change the future of medicine by using similar methods to treat illnesses caused by viruses and genetic diseases. Although there is still a long way to go before it can be used as a drug and made available to the public, the team is confident about the benefits of nucleic acids for new drug discovery.

“This research result is good news for doctors, drug discovery researchers, and cancer patients, and we believe that it will provide new options for drug development and medication policy. With this in mind, we will study in detail the efficacy, toxicity, and potential administration methods,” says Okamoto.

You can do it Write to winews.com now And be part of the community.Share your stories and opinions with us Here.