A domestic research team has developed a technology that kills cancer cells by cutting one strand of their DNA's double helix. *(iClickArt) Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution of the above image is prohibited by copyright law.)

By Koh Hyunjeong

A domestic research team has developed a gene scissors technology that kills only the mutated DNA of cancer cells by cutting just one strand of the double helix of their DNA, something that induces the death of cancer-specific cells in combination with DNA repair pathway inhibitors.

This finding shows the potential of CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) in treating a range of cancers.

Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) on Sept. 3 said a joint research team led by Cho Seung Woo, a professor at UNIST's Biomedical Engineering Department, and the Center for Genomic Integrity of the Institute for Basic Science developed a technology that can kill cancer cells by cutting one strand of the double helix of the cells' DNA.

In 2022, the team suggested an anti-cancer therapy of cutting DNA mutations of cancer cells using CRISPR DNA scissors. This time, only four scissors were required in this research, far fewer than the 20-plus required three years ago.

The gist of the technology is preventing the DNA strand cut by the DNA scissors from recovering by using an inhibitor of the enzyme benadaparibo (poly ADP-ribose polymerase or PARP) that helps repair the damaged DNA to prevent single strands of DNA cut from being repaired.

"Targeted anticancer drugs showed a synergistic effect when combined with radiation therapy," a team source said. "We expect its use not only as a monotherapy but also as a combination treatment strategy."

The study was published on Aug. 1 in Cancer Research, the official academic journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

hjkoh@korea.kr