Let’s talk about the tardigrades and their infinite “super powers.” With less than one millimeter in length, these animals of curious appearance are able to survive in conditions of dehydration, lack of oxygen and extreme temperatures, even in the presence of levels of ionizing radiation.
A research team coordinated by Giovanni Traverso of the Faculty of Medicine of Harvard and James Byrne from Iowa, wondered if a specific protein of the tardigrants could be used to protect the healthy cells of the radiation used to treat certain tumors. He studypublished in Nature Biomedical Engineeringwas performed in cells cultivated in laboratory and mice.
What protects the tardigrados?
The use of radiation for therapeutic purposes, commonly called “radiotherapy”, aims to destroy cancer cells. In oncology, it can be used for healing purposes, alone or in combination with other treatments: to reduce the tumor, facilitate surgery or stop growth. On the other hand, it can damage healthy cells close to the tumor mass, causing undesirable effects that vary depending on the affected body area; Some examples are the appearance of ulcers in the mouth, loss of appetite, diarrhea and decreased sense of taste.
The Traverso and Byrne team developed a strategy to reduce these effects. They were inspired by the tardigrades, particularly a specific component of the defense system of these animals: the DSUP damage suppressor. Discovered in 2016 by another research group, this is able to join DNA and protect it from the lethal effects of radiation, acting as a shield.
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The study in mice
For the production of the DSUP protein in the cells and tissues of interest, the team tested several approaches to transmit the “instructions” in the form of a messenger RNA. From these tests, they identified two types of nanoparticles made of polymers and lipids, one of which was suitable to transport the messenger RNA to the colon tissues and others in the mouth.
Next, they injected the nanoparticles containing the messenger RNA on the cheek or at the end of the laboratory mice colon. A few hours later, the body parts were exposed to a radiation dose comparable to what would be used in humans in the context of radiotherapy treatment. Compared to a control group that did not receive a messenger RNA, the mice injected before being exposed to radiation showed up to 50% less damage. In addition, the protective effect of the DSUP did not seem to extend to the tissues adjacent to the injection site, a crucial point, since radiation must remain effective against tumor cells.
The results are promising, however, they must still be tested in broader studies before they can be used clinically.
Article originally published in Wired Italy. Adapted by Alondra Flores.
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