A new research from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institute has deepened the understanding
of how chromosome replication, one of life's most fundamental processes, works, which may eventually lead to new cancer therapies, according to a statement from the institute on Thursday.
By studying DNA replication in yeast cells, researchers discovered that a protein complex (Smc5/6) helps to release torsional stress created in the DNA molecule when chromosomes are replicated in preparation for a coming cell division.
"Our study also indicates that the stress can propagate more freely along the DNA in a chromosome than was previously thought," said KI
professor Camilla Sjogren, head of the team that conducted the study.
The study therefore sheds more light on the mechanisms behind one of life's most fundamental processes.
"Several modern cancer treatments attack topoisomerases, but there's a problem in that some cancers become resistant to such therapies," said
Sjogren.
"Now that we've discovered that also the Smc5/6 complex releases the stress which form during the replication process, our results might trigger the development of drugs that target Smc5/6. This could create another tool for inhibiting tumor growth," Sjogren further explained.
The research article has been published in science magazine Nature.