Recently, researchers discovered a protein with the groundbreaking ability to stop DNA damage.
“With a human cell, if there are any more than two breaks in the entire billion base pair genome, it can’t fix itself and it dies,” says Robert Szabla, a grad student in Biochemistry at Western University. “But in the case of DdrC, this unique protein helps the cell to repair hundreds of broken DNA fragments into a coherent genome.”
Researchers at Western University in London, Canada, found a protein called DdrC (DNA Damage Repair Protein C). They believe this new protein could potentially have the ability to help develop vaccines against cancer or help ensure crops can withstand increasingly harsh growing conditions brought on by climate change. Theoretically, the gene could be introduced to plants, animals, or humans, significantly increasing the organism’s ability to repair, neutralize, and stop further DNA damage. Though research into this newly discovered protein is only being conducted, it will likely be revolutionary in medicine.
