3D printers create protein chain models for cancer research

Thanks to 3D printing technology, researchers from the Royal University of London (UK) have created a model of protein chains, an essential component of DNA replication, to serve the study of treatment methods. cancer.

Research on cancer treatment from protein chain models printed from 3D printers

Researchers say the process of copying DNA for cell growth and duplication of problems can cause cells to die or become cancer cells.

Illustration.(Source: ebi.ac.uk)

To accomplish this duplication process, cells use a very complex mechanism with the participation of hundreds of different components.

Scientists have observed this mechanism of duplication to find the cause of the problem when copying DNA. Thanks to the large 3D printer , the team created protein structure models based on high-resolution images.

From these protein structure models, the researchers have seen how micro-protein components collect and create cell copy machines and from there, scientists discovered if proteins Cdc6 does not participate in the process of copying "apparatus ", this " apparatus " does not work and the process of DNA replication also stops.

Scientists claim this finding will help improve existing cancer treatments . Currently the treatments are primarily aimed at destroying cancer cells by destroying their DNA.

This method can damage the DNA of healthy cells. If researchers can develop a cure for DNA replication instead of destroying DNA today, these side effects will be avoided.