According to the Mayo Clinic, about 20% of breast cancers make abnormally high levels of a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2).
When displayed on the surface of cancer cells, this signaling protein helps them proliferate uncontrollably and is linked with a poor prognosis. Now, researchers have developed a DNA nanorobot that recognizes HER2 on breast cancer cells, targeting them for destruction. They report their results in the ACS journal Nano Letters.
Current therapies for HER2-positive breast cancer include monoclonal antibodies, such as trastuzumab, that bind to HER2 on cells and direct it to the lysosome –– an organelle that degrades biomolecules. Lowering the levels of HER2 slows cancer cell proliferation and triggers cell death. Although monoclonal antibodies can lead to the death of cancer cells, they have severe side effects and are difficult and expensive to produce. In a previous study, Yunfeng Lin and colleagues identified a short sequence of DNA, called an aptamer, that recognizes and binds HER2, targeting it for lysosomal degradation in much the same way that monoclonal antibodies do. But the aptamer wasn’t very stable in serum. So the researchers wanted to see if adding a DNA nanostructure, called a tetrahedral framework nucleic acid (tFNA), could increase the aptamer’s biostability and anti-cancer activity.
To find out, the team designed DNA nanorobots consisting of the tFNA with an attached HER2 aptamer. When injected into mice, the nanorobots persisted in the bloodstream more than twice as long as the free aptamer. Next, the researchers added nanorobots to three breast cancer cell lines in petri dishes, showing that they killed only the HER2-positive cell line. The addition of the tFNA allowed more of the aptamer to bind to HER2 than without tFNA, leading to reduced HER2 levels on cell surfaces. Although the nanorobot is much easier and less expensive to make than monoclonal antibodies, it likely needs further improvement before it could be used to treat breast cancer in the clinic, the researchers say.
Learn more: DNA nanorobots target HER2-positive breast cancer cells
The Latest on: DNA nanorobot
[google_news title=”” keyword=”DNA nanorobot” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: DNA nanorobot
- Ancient DNA Newson May 4, 2024 at 5:00 pm
DNA Study IDs Descendants of George Washington from Unmarked Remains, Findings to Aid Service Member IDs Going Back to World War II Mar. 28, 2024 — New DNA sequencing technologies have ...
- Best DNA Test for 2024on May 3, 2024 at 4:01 am
CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. Open up even more of your world with the best at-home ...
- Ancient DNA pulls back curtain on mysterious empireon April 27, 2024 at 8:00 am
Editor’s note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here. Primarily known from the accounts of their Byzantine ...
- Discovering cancers of epigenetic origin without DNA mutationon April 23, 2024 at 5:00 pm
This discovery forces us to reconsider the theory that, for more than 30 years, has assumed that cancers are predominantly genetic diseases caused necessarily by DNA mutations that accumulate at ...
- Neuroscientists Discover Shapeshifting DNA Controls Memory Formationon April 17, 2024 at 9:16 am
Neuroscientists have uncovered a new mechanism for memory formation, and it involves changes in the structure of your DNA. If you were asked to picture a molecule of DNA, chances are you would ...
- Best DNA test 2024: Explore your heritage and health with these home kits from Ancestry, 23andMe and moreon April 17, 2024 at 4:00 am
I’ve tested a selection of kits to find the best DNA test for you, whether you’re researching your heritage, health risks or family tree Deciding on the best DNA test for you can be tricky.
- A Random Influx of DNA from a Virus Helped Vertebrates Become So Stunningly Successfulon April 11, 2024 at 5:00 pm
A new study in the journal Cell provides an answer to this long-standing puzzle: the genetic instructions to make myelin were slipped into our vertebrate ancestor’s DNA by infection with a virus.
- DNA lab knew its paternity tests identified the wrong dads — but kept selling them: reporton April 9, 2024 at 9:41 am
Officials at a Canadian DNA lab knew its prenatal paternity tests were misidentifying babies’ biological fathers, often ruling out the true dads — but continued to sell the tests for more than ...
- Protecting the Future with DNA Data Storageon April 5, 2024 at 2:07 pm
We’re speaking of “DNA data storage”—yes “DNA” or more formally known as deoxyribonucleic acid—that tongue-twisting, nearly impossible to write term we learned back in high-school ...
- Researchers investigate possibility of collecting DNA from air-conditioning units at crime sceneson April 4, 2024 at 9:52 am
While DNA collected from air in different spaces could be done with "some optimization," the researchers recommend follow-up studies to determine the best location for air collection devices, and ...
via Bing News