Discovery of an immune protein that helps treat colon cancer

Researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) have discovered an immune protein that has the potential to prevent colon cancer. The NLRC4 protein finds and repairs damaged DNA, which causes cancer.

NLRC4 prevents damaged cells from growing and dividing during the repair process. This helps limit healthy cells from turning into cancer cells and pre-cancerous cells from developing into tumors.

The study’s lead author, Dr. Si Ming Man from ANU, said this research opens up the possibility of developing new drugs to treat colon cancer based on NLRC4. This type of cancer develops when cells become abnormal due to changes in DNA.

Previously, scientists thought that NLRC4 only played a role in killing infected cells. However, new research by ANU shows that this protein also has the effect of building and repairing DNA.

The study also found that people with colon cancer had less NLRC4 in their bodies. This suggests that NLRC4 may be a promising biomarker for predicting patient prognosis.

“Checking the amount of NLRC4 in precancerous colon polyps can help guide the frequency of screening for the disease,” said Mr. Man.

Colon cancer is the second leading cause of death in Australia, with more than 100 deaths each week. However, nearly 99% of cases can be treated successfully if detected early.