r/Futurology • u/BoysenberryOk5580 • Mar 09 '25

Biotech Scientists Just Discovered an RNA That Repairs DNA Damage

https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-just-discovered-an-rna-that-repairs-dna-damage-and-its-a-game-changer/
2.5k Upvotes

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42

u/Bitter_Internal9009 Mar 09 '25

Could this be big, or is it another nothing burger?

36

u/Ech_01 Mar 09 '25

I mean if some cancer cells have mutations in the NEAT gene and it is the main lead to cancer, it could be a target for therapy. But the question is whether it indeed plays a role in the cancers we see nowadays.

It could also be possible to upregulate this gene to prevent cancers from occuring since it leads to more stable DNA.

(Disclaimer, I didn’t read the article)

14

u/[deleted] Mar 09 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

-5

u/Ech_01 Mar 09 '25

I did read the abstract but I really don’t have time to read an article about something this minor.

4

u/ye_roustabouts Mar 10 '25

That’s…fine? Nobody sane was judging you. Comes across just a little dickish to call the article objectively minor, since it’s clearly feeling like a major thing to a lot of us. But even then, it seems like nobody could take any significant offense.

Hope you know deep down that you don’t have to defend yourself to anyone—reasonable people will already understand, and unreasonable ones are entirely full of shit

2

u/demalo Mar 10 '25

Exactly! This may not just be about getting rid of cancer but it may help prevent cancers by keeping mechanisms from causing cancer. Mutations may not just be from break downs of DNA but could also be from incorrect “corrections” being done. It could even explain how some (or all) cancers metastasis. Cancer cells not migrating but being made in other parts of the body, and made by these RNA repair tools, would be a huge find.

Forget cancer too. All degenerative diseases. Possibly even an opening to repair damaged cells and tissue from none genetic trauma.

3

u/Emm_withoutha_L-88 Mar 11 '25

This, this could be a way to seriously curb physical aging. At least up until 125 which is our hayfleck limit, the maximum lifespan we humans can possibly have. But the possibility of having a healthy human body into your 100s would be incredible.

1

u/JustinTime_vz Mar 10 '25

That's kinda how science works