New Research Shows How Protein Protects Early Brain Cells from DNA Damage

Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have rewritten the job description of the protein TopBP1 after demonstrating that it guards early brain cells from DNA damage. Such damage might foreshadow later problems, including cancer.

According to research, cells in the developing brain require TopBP1 to prevent DNA strands from breaking as the molecule is copied prior to cell division. In addition, stem cells and immature cells known as progenitor cells that are involved at the beginning of brain development are more sensitive to unrepaired DNA damage than progenitor cells later in the process. Although more developmentally advanced than stem cells, progenitor cells retain the ability to become one of a variety of more specialized neurons. For more information, click here to read the full release.