Can Tardigrades Help Fight Cancer? Scientists Investigate

casualSTEM delivers brief and informative summaries of the latest science news every Saturday. Full of jokes, silly polls, and a cartoon!

Tardigrade Rx

Tardigrades want to help us fight cancer. Scientists are reviewing how the water bear’s Dsup proteins could protect healthy cells during radiotherapy.

• Tardigrades = micro-animals that survive in extreme environments

• Dsup = damage suppressing

• Limits radiation-induced DNA damage

Dsup proteins form a shield around DNA so it can't be shredded by the same radiation targeting cancer cells. Further research will confirm long-term safety and effectiveness for humans. Imagine thousands of tardigrade shields...

Micro Phalanx Formation 🛡️🛡️🛡️ 

Catch-up on science in sweatpants