Tardigrades, also known as water bears, are microscopic creatures renowned for their extraordinary resilience. These extremophiles can withstand conditions that would be lethal to most other organisms, including extreme doses of radiation. Now, a new study suggests that a protein produced by tardigrades could hold the key to mitigating the damaging effects of radiation therapy in cancer patients.
This groundbreaking research, published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, was conducted by scientists at MIT, the University of Iowa, and other institutions. The team investigated the potential of a tardigrade protein, called damage suppressor protein (Dsup), to protect healthy cells from radiation damage. Dsup is believed to bind to DNA strands, preventing them from breaking apart when exposed to radiation.
The researchers used mRNA technology to temporarily enable cells in mice to produce Dsup. They focused on cells lining the mouth and rectum, areas where radiation therapy is commonly used to treat cancer. After exposing these cells to radiation, they observed a significant reduction in radiation damage, mirroring the protective effect seen in tardigrades.
Importantly, the study also demonstrated that the presence of Dsup did not interfere with the effectiveness of radiation therapy in targeting cancerous cells. In experiments with mice that had oral cancer, the radiation therapy was still able to kill tumor cells despite the added protection provided by Dsup to healthy cells.
This finding suggests that Dsup could potentially be used as an add-on treatment to minimize the side effects of radiation therapy while maintaining its cancer-fighting efficacy. As the researchers noted in their paper, “The strategy may be broadly applicable to the protection of healthy tissue from DNA-damaging agents.”
While this research is promising, it’s still in its early stages. More research is needed before this technology can be applied to human cancer patients. The team is working on developing an improved version of Dsup that is less likely to trigger an immune response. Other research has identified tardigrades with even greater radiation resistance, indicating that Dsup may not be the only protective mechanism we can learn from these resilient creatures.
If this research continues to show positive results, it could have significant implications for the estimated 50 to 60% of cancer patients who receive radiation therapy. The potential applications extend beyond cancer treatment, including protecting astronauts from space radiation and shielding patients from DNA damage caused by chemotherapy drugs.
Study co-author Giovanni Traverso, an associate professor at MIT and a gastroenterologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, highlighted the need for such protective measures: “Radiation can be very helpful for many tumors, but we also recognize that the side effects can be limiting. There’s an unmet need with respect to helping patients mitigate the risk of damaging adjacent tissue,” he told MIT News.
Tardigrades, with their remarkable ability to survive extreme conditions, have long captivated scientists. This latest research offers a glimpse into the potential benefits of harnessing their unique adaptations to improve human health. The prospect of utilizing a tardigrade protein to enhance cancer treatment and protect against radiation damage represents a significant step forward in medical research.
