Using 3D printers to create protein chain models for cancer research

Using 3D printing technology, researchers at Imperial College London (UK) have created models of protein chains, essential components of the DNA replication process, to serve the research of cancer treatment methods.

Illustration photo. (Source: ebi.ac.uk)

Researchers say that problems with the DNA replication process that enables cell growth and division can cause cells to die or become cancerous.

To carry out this replication process, cells use a very complex mechanism involving hundreds of different components.

Scientists observed this replication mechanism to find out what causes problems when copying DNA. Using a large 3D printer, the team created models of protein structures based on high-resolution images.

From these protein structure models, researchers have seen how microscopic protein components assemble and create the cell's replication machinery. From there, scientists discovered that if the Cdc6 protein does not participate in the formation of the replication "machine", this "machine" does not work and the DNA replication process also stops.

Scientists say the discovery could help improve existing cancer treatments, which currently aim to kill cancer cells by damaging their DNA.

This method can damage the DNA of healthy cells. If researchers can develop a treatment that targets DNA replication instead of destroying DNA as it does now, these side effects could be avoided./.

According to VIETNAM+