RNA Molecules Control Repair of Damaged Human DNA in Cancer Cells

upstart writes:

RNA Molecules Control Repair of Damaged Human DNA in Cancer Cells:

It was long assumed that RNA molecules - basic molecules that exist in all living organisms - only participated in protein synthesis. New research demonstrates, however, that RNA molecules have a much broader function and can play a key role in the development of disease.

One such disease in cancer, where damage to our cells' DNA can be a contributing factor. DNA damage occurs and is repaired continuously, but in some cases it can lead to carcinogenic mutations in the genome. A fundamental understanding of how our cells repair DNA is therefore key to the design of new treatments.

In this current study, the researchers examined how certain RNA molecules affected the ability of the cancer cells to repair radiation-damaged or broken DNA strings. They discovered that two molecule types - small Cajal body-specific RNA 2 (scaRNA2) and WRAP53 - interacted to regulate the enzyme DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), which in turn affected the DNA-repair mechanisms.

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