Researchers from the Medical Research Center of the University Clinic of Navarre identified a new p53 regulatorTHE key protein in the detection And DNA damage repairwhich could lay the foundations for the development of more effective treatments against cancer. The study showed that YTHDC1 (a protein linked to several diseases, including acute myeloid leukemia) is essential for regulating p53.
He p53 is the pillar of genomic stability of the cell. If a cell suffers damage to its DNATo activate an effective repair program, you need p53. The regulation of p53 has been widely studied at the protein level, but this new project explores how its activity is controlled by its Messenger RNAwhich contains the message for the production of the p53 protein.
This research discovers that the protein YTHDC1 helps regulate both the expression of Messenger RNA of p53like that of others Genoa necessary for good detection And repair of DNA damage. Furthermore, it was discovered that this mechanism is linked to both transcription as for the correct treatment of Messenger RNA. “Although this treatment depends on the chemical modifications of RNAtranscriptional regulation does not seem to depend on it. This suggests that YTHDC1 acts at multiple levels to ensure that cells respond to damage to their DNA, contributing to activation p53 how to treat others RNA which are necessary for DNA repair. This discovery leads us to explore how to use this protein as therapeutic objective in the treatment of cancer” explains the Dr Maite Huartedirector of DNA and RNA Therapies Division of the High.
As it is said, “there is a correlation between genomic instability of a tumor and the response to both chemotherapy love it immunotherapy. Tumors with greater genomic instability respond best. “That could be a possible avenue to explore.” The results were published in the scientific journal EMBO Journal.
For his part, the Dr. Daniel Elvira Blázquezfirst author of the project, adds: “We know that YTHDC1 is involved in several diseasesand now we focus on development specific inhibitors which can improve the genomic instability tumors, making them more sensitive to treatment.
The results open the door to new therapeutic strategies, particularly in cancers such as lung. By increasing the genomic instability tumors, they become more sensitive to immunotherapy and the chemotherapy. The research team will continue their research specific inhibitors For YTHDC1 with the aim of designing more effective therapeutic combinations in the near future.
