TREATMENTS

DNA can be damaged by toxins, radiation, or even the normal process of cell division. In order to survive, human cells must constantly repair these DNA damages. In cells that cannot repair DNA efficiently, changes called mutations can occur, which can contribute to the development of cancer.

Most cells use a system known as homologous recombination (HR) to repair DNA. This process involves the proteins BRCA1 and BRCA2. However, people born with mutations in the BRCA genes are at increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers. BRCA mutations and HR problems have recently been found to be associated with prostate and pancreatic cancers as well.

Therefore, identifying cancer patients with HR deficiency has become a priority in the medical field. These cancer cells are vulnerable to targeted therapies that affect DNA.

To identify patients with HR deficiency, standard laboratory tests are used that look for signs of “scarring” in the DNA of cancer cells. These scars occur when repair processes use alternative mechanisms instead of homologous recombination to repair mutations.

Although accurate diagnosis of these scars allows better tailoring of treatment, scientists have always been intrigued by the subtlety of these scars found in HR-deficient cancer cells.

Representation of the double helical structure of DNA. The four coding units (A, T, C, G) are color coded pink, orange, purple and yellow. Credit: NHGRI

These scars cause very small errors in the DNA code that are too small to be detected under a microscope. However, HR-deficient cells show dramatic structural changes in the much larger DNA structures called chromosomes, which are visible under a microscope.

To resolve this paradox, Dr. Marcin Imieliński of NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center and Dr. Simon Powell of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) applied “genome graph” techniques, a method for visualizing data genomics. It was developed in the laboratory of Dr. Imieliński. This method has been used to detect significant structural changes in DNA that rearrange, copy and delete large segments of chromosomes.

The study, which was published in the journal Nature on August 16, examined DNA molecules more than a hundred times longer than those normally studied in cancer analyses.

Through these methods, the team of researchers identified a new type of scars called “reciprocal pairs”, which appear in cases of HR deficiency. Analyzing thousands of cancer genomes, the team showed that when the HR mechanism fails, reciprocal pair scars create specific changes at the chromosome level that are visible under a microscope and that better explain the biology of HR-deficient cancer cells.

Dr. Marcin Imieliński, director of the Cancer Genome at the Perlmutter Center and a pathologist at NYU Langone, explained that “the longer molecules reveal to us that these scars come from two backup repair mechanisms that keep HR-deficient cancer cells alive .”

The study authors pointed out that these new techniques require whole-genome sequencing, and with decreasing costs, this new approach could become useful for identifying HR-deficient patients who could benefit from targeted therapies.

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2023-08-22 20:43:03
#benefits #DNA #repair #treat #cancer #republikaNEWS

At the University of Leeds, researchers have developed a tiny robot with an ultra-soft tentacle that has the ability to penetrate deep into the lungs to detect and treat the first signs of cancer.

This innovative device is only 2 millimeters in diameter and can be controlled by magnets, allowing it to reach some of the smallest bronchioles. Its potential is to transform the way lung cancer is treated.

The team of engineers, scientists and clinicians at STORM Lab in Leeds developed this robot, paving the way for a more precise, personalized and less invasive approach to the treatment of this condition.

In tests on a cadaver’s lungs, the robot with magnetic tentacles was able to penetrate 37 percent deeper than standard equipment, while causing less tissue damage.

The results of this research, funded by the European Research Council, were published on Thursday in the journal Nature Engineering Communications. This innovation opens new perspectives in the field of diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, offering hope for improving the lives of patients and reducing the negative impact of the disease.

Peter Valdastridirector of STORM Lab and research supervisor: “This new approach has the advantage of being specific to the human anatomy, more flexible than that, and completely controllable via the magnetic function. These three main features have the potential to revolutionize in-body navigation.”

Lung cancer ranks first among cancers with the highest mortality rate worldwide.

For early-stage non-small cell lung cancer, which makes up about 84% of cases, surgery is the standard treatment.

However, the surgical procedure is usually very invasive and involves significant removal of lung tissue. This approach is not suitable for all patients and may affect lung function.

Although lung cancer screening programs have led to improved survival rates, they have also highlighted the urgent need to find non-invasive methods for early diagnosis and treatment of patients.

The magnetic tentacle robot, in addition to improving navigation inside the lungs during biopsies, could pave the way for a much less invasive treatment. This would allow doctors to target only malignant cells, leaving healthy tissues and organs intact, allowing them to continue to function normally.

“Our goal was and is to provide treatment with minimal pain and healing potential for patients”added report co-author Dr Giovanni Pittiglio, who carried out the research while undertaking his PhD at the University of Leeds’ faculty of electronic and electrical engineering.

“Remote magnetic actuation allowed us to do this using ultra-soft tentacles that can reach deeper into tissues in the body, while molding to the patient’s anatomy and reducing trauma”the teacher also specified.

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Source: 360medical.ro

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2023-07-27 19:05:23
#detection #treatment #cancers #transformed #surgical #minirobots #republikaNEWS