New Mayo Clinic discovery could lead to targeted cancer therapies

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers say they have discovered a protein, KCTD10, that acts as a "traffic controller" for DNA during cell division, potentially paving the way for new cancer therapies. This finding was published in the journal Nature. Zhenkun Lou, Ph.D., a senior author of the study, highlighted the importance of DNA, stating, "DNA is the code of life. It's critical for how a cell functions, but it's also critical for our own being and defines what we are." The protein KCTD10 helps protect DNA replication machinery from damage, acting as a built-in sensor. Researchers say it plays a crucial role in preventing collisions between the replication and transcription processes that occur on the same DNA strand. By activating the enzyme CUL3, KCTD10 ensu