A UAlberta research project found the protein RYBP prevents DNA repair in cancer cells-including breast cancer- and could make chemo or radiation therapy more effective.
"Cancer cells that resist therapy are able to repair themselves despite the DNA damage. By preventing them from repairing, we could more effectively treat cancer," explained post-doctoral fellow Mohammad Ali.
Ali led the collaboration between Michael Hendzel's lab from the departments of oncology and cell biology and Leo Spyracopoulos' lab from the Department of Biochemistry; both are members of the Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta. This research was funded by the Alberta Cancer Foundation, Alberta Innovates, the Alberta Cancer Prevention Legacy Fund and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.