Australian Scientists Discover Proteins That Could Revolutionize Cancer Treatment

Breakthrough in Cancer and Aging Research

New Delhi, July 3: A research team from Australia has made a significant discovery regarding a set of proteins that may change the landscape of cancer and age-related disease treatments.

Scientists at the Children's Medical Research Institute (CMRI) in Sydney have found that these proteins are essential in regulating telomerase, an enzyme that safeguards DNA during cell division, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

This discovery sheds light on the dual role of telomerase in promoting healthy aging while also contributing to the proliferation of cancer cells, opening up new avenues for therapies aimed at either slowing down aging or halting cancer by targeting these newly identified proteins.

Telomerase is crucial for preserving the ends of chromosomes, known as telomeres, which are essential for maintaining genetic integrity.

It adds DNA to telomeres to shield them from damage.

While telomerase is vital for the health of stem cells and specific immune cells, cancer cells frequently misuse this enzyme to proliferate uncontrollably.

The CMRI team has pinpointed a new group of proteins that are instrumental in regulating this enzyme.

In their publication in the journal Nature Communications, the researchers emphasized that three proteins—NONO, SFPQ, and PSPC1—direct telomerase to the ends of chromosomes; disrupting these proteins in cancer cells could hinder telomere maintenance and potentially curb cancer cell growth.

Alexander Sobinoff, the lead author of the study, stated, "Our research indicates that these proteins function like molecular traffic controllers, ensuring that telomerase reaches its correct destination within the cell."

He further added, "Without these proteins, telomerase cannot effectively maintain telomeres, which has profound implications for healthy aging and the progression of cancer."

Hilda Pickett, who leads CMRI's Telomere Length Regulation Unit and is the senior author of the study, remarked that understanding the regulation of telomerase opens up new possibilities for developing treatments aimed at cancer, aging, and genetic disorders associated with telomere dysfunction.