Researchers Find Protein That Can 'Cool Off' Colon Cancer Cells And Detect Damaged DNA

A cancer-fighting protein that can remove damaged DNA from the body “like a light switch” has been activated by researchers at the Australian National University. This protein can prevent cancer formation and could be a breakthrough for colon cancer prevention. A group of researchers have discovered a way to make use of medications to activate the protein.

According to the findings of researcher Dr. Abhimanu Pandey, the protein Ku70 performs the role of a surveillance system when it is active. It does this by recognising any signs of damaged DNA that may be present in our cells. According to him, the phrase “damaged DNA” is a common early warning indication that cells have the potential to evolve into cancerous cells. The damage that has been done can be undone or, at the very least, halted by the protein Ku70, which prevents the cancer cells from becoming more aggressive and spreading throughout the body, essentially deactivating them.

The outcomes of our research indicate that Ku70 can “cool off” cancer cells and clean up DNA that has been damaged. Because of the protein’s capacity to prevent cancer cells from spreading throughout the body, they are effectively made dormant and maintained in a latent phase. This is because the protein prevents the cancer cells from developing.

There were a total of 126,240 cases of colorectal cancer that were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States of America in the year 2020. 51,869 persons lost their lives as a direct consequence that year.

In Australia, where the research was conducted, 100 people die weekly from a form of bowel cancer, according to the study. However, 90% of cases could be successfully treated if caught early on, according to the data, now published in Science Advances.

“We know early detection and treatment is vital to overcoming not only bowel cancer but potentially other cancers as well,” researcher Si Ming Man Man said. Man continued by stating that the evaluation of Ku70 levels may soon be incorporated into the screening procedure for cancers such as those that affect the colon.