Radiation therapy is a powerful tool for fighting cancer, but it comes with painful side effects.
About 60% of cancer patients receive radiation, and many struggle with issues like mouth sores, rectal bleeding, and severe pain.
Some patients even have to delay or stop treatment because their bodies can’t handle the damage.
Now, researchers at MIT, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the University of Iowa have found an exciting way to protect healthy cells from radiation—using a protein from one of the toughest creatures on Earth: the tardigrade (also known as the “water bear”).
Inspired by nature’s toughest survivor
Tardigrades are tiny, almost indestructible creatures that can survive extreme heat, cold, and even the vacuum of space.
One of their superpowers is a special protein called Dsup, which helps protect their DNA from radiation damage.
The research team wondered: Could this same protein protect human cells during radiation therapy?
To test this idea, they created a treatment using messenger RNA (mRNA)—the same technology behind some COVID-19 vaccines—to deliver instructions for making the Dsup protein into human cells. If this worked, the cells would briefly produce Dsup and shield themselves from radiation damage.
Protecting cells from harm
The scientists first tested this idea in lab-grown cells, and it worked! Next, they tested it in mice. They injected the mRNA into the cheek or rectum of the mice a few hours before radiation treatment—just like how human patients receive radiation for head, neck, and gastrointestinal cancers.
The results were incredible: DNA damage was reduced by 50% in the treated areas. Importantly, the protection did not spread beyond the injection site, meaning the cancerous tumors were still exposed to radiation.
“We’re using mRNA, which temporarily produces the protein, making it much safer than permanent changes to DNA,” explained Ameya Kirtane, one of the lead researchers.
A safer future for cancer patients
While this treatment is still in the early stages, the researchers believe it could one day help cancer patients handle radiation therapy with fewer side effects. The team is now working on a human-friendly version of the Dsup protein that won’t trigger an immune reaction.
This discovery could also protect astronauts from space radiation or even help prevent DNA damage caused by chemotherapy drugs.
“This is a really exciting idea,” said Dr. Ben Ho Park, a cancer expert not involved in the study. “It’s taking a natural form of protection and applying it to help people.”
With further research, this tiny tardigrade protein could make a big difference for cancer patients and beyond.
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