Inside every cell, inside every nucleus, your continued existence depends on an incredibly complicated dance. Proteins are constantly wrapping and unwrapping DNA, and even minor missteps can lead to cancer. A new study from the University of Chicago reveals a previously unknown part of this dance-;one with significant implications for human health.
In the study, published Oct. 2 in Nature, a team of scientists led by UChicago Prof. Chuan He, in collaboration with University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Prof.
Mingjiang Xu, found that RNA plays a significant role in how DNA is packaged and stored in your cells, via a gene known as TET2 . This pathway also appears to explain a long-standing puzzle about why so many cancers and other disorders involve TET2 -related mutations-;and suggests a set of new targets for treatments. "This represents a conceptual breakthrough," said He, who is the John T.
Wilson Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Not only does it offer targets for therapy for several diseases, but we are adding to the grand picture of chromatin regulation in biology. We hope the real-world impact is going to be very high.
" Chuan He, University of Texas Health Science Center RNA revelations He's lab has made several discoveries that shook up our picture of how genes are expressed. In 2011, they found that, in addi.