mRNA-Based Delivery of Dsup Protein for Acute Radioprotection in Human Cells Without Genomic Alteration
A Novel Strategy Leveraging Tardigrade Proteins to Enhance Cellular DNA Protection
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.3547Keywords:
Damage Suppressor Protein (Dsup), mRNA-based protein delivery, Radioprotection, DNA damage mitigation, Tardigrade extremophile biology, non-genomic therapeutic strategiesAbstract
Cancer remains one of the most life-threatening diseases, ranking as the second leading cause of death worldwide. Radiation therapy is a crucial component of treatment for about 50% of cancer patients. However, it is often limited by severe side effects caused by radiation-induced DNA damage. Tardigrades, microscopic extremophiles, have showed remarkable resistance to radiation due to the secretion of a unique protein called damage suppressor (Dsup), which binds to DNA and reduces damage. This project explores the use of synthetic messenger RNA (mRNA) to transiently express Dsup in human cells. The aim is to enhance cellular resistance to radiation without changing the genome.
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