RAD52 Discovery Brings New Light to Cancer Research
A breakthrough study led by researchers at the University of Iowa has revealed a previously unknown structure of the DNA repair protein RAD52, offering promising insights for developing new cancer therapies. The discovery uncovers how RAD52 forms a protective double-ring structure to stabilise damaged DNA during replication, potentially making it an ideal drug target for cancers deficient in DNA repair mechanisms. RAD52 and DNA Repair Deficiencies Cancers such as breast, ovarian, and some brain tumours often carry mutations in key DNA repair genes like BRCA1 and BRCA2. These mutations force cancer cells to rely on alternate repair pathways for survival. RAD52 is one of the proteins that compensates for this deficiency, helping cancer cells replicate even with damaged DNA. Scientists believe that blocking RAD52 could selectively kill such cancer cells while sparing healthy ones. Discovery of a Unique Double-Ring Formation Using cryogenic electron microscopy (CryoEM), the research...