Go to the ring: in the Russian Federation, they created an "armor" of an anti-cancer molecule and filmed the repair of genes

For the first time in the world, Russian scientists have taken 3D photos of the process of "repairing" a DNA molecule using proteins. Belarusian specialists have synthesized a compound that prevents tuberculosis pathogens from deceiving the immune system. Another group of researchers has developed a smart packaging for sulforaphane, a substance found in cabbage and radishes that can effectively destroy tumor cells. These and other developments became possible due to the development of scientific complexes of the megascience class. In the future, research will continue on the SKIF installation, a new Russian mega accelerator. The scientists told about this at the SKIF-2026 conference, which is being held in Novosibirsk with the support of the Russian Science Foundation. Izvestia reviewed the presented developments and selected the most interesting ones.

How proteins repaired damaged genes

For the first time in the world, employees of the D.G. Knorre Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences have obtained three-dimensional images of a DNA molecule and two proteins involved in its restoration.

As experts explained, the integrity of the DNA carrier of hereditary information is the key to the health of any organism. However, this molecule is vulnerable to damage that can occur, in particular, due to oxidative stress. It is provoked by various factors, including solar radiation, radiation and smoking. The accumulation of DNA damage can lead to malignant degeneration of healthy cells.

At the same time, special multi-protein systems are continuously engaged in DNA repair. Understanding these mechanisms will make it possible to target pathogenic cells and improve therapy methods.

— We managed to obtain DNA-protein crystals and build a model of the interaction of enzymes both with the DNA molecule and with each other. But more importantly, we now have an experimentally validated model. Previously, the scientific community could rely primarily on computational and predictive data. The new model allows us to understand the geometry of the process," explained Nikita Bulgakov, a junior researcher at the IHBFM SB RAS.

According to him, conducting experiments at the SKIF facility will significantly speed up and simplify research, as well as reduce the cost of developing drugs for the treatment of diseases associated with DNA damage.

How to remove the protection of tuberculosis bacillus

According to WHO, more than 10 million people worldwide contract tuberculosis every year, and more than 1 million die, researchers from the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus said. As part of an international team of scientists, they have created a compound that blocks the activity of tuberculosis pathogens.

These bacteria have learned to resist the body's defense mechanisms.: They penetrate into the cells of the immune system — macrophages — multiply in them and suppress the immune response, explained Andrey Gilep, one of the developers, chief researcher at IBH NAS.

— Normally, when encountering an infection, a macrophage produces signaling molecules that transmit information about infection and activate the immune system. However, microbes have learned to produce proteins that destroy these molecules. The mechanisms of such interaction remained insufficiently studied, which made it difficult to develop new drugs," the specialist said.

According to him, in solving this problem, scientists experimentally obtained a three-dimensional structure of the process and constructed a molecule that blocks the work of this type of protein. The development is patented and may become part of tuberculosis therapy. These technologies will be tested at the SKIF CCP.

Nanocontainer for antitumor molecule

Another development was presented by physicists from the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research. They proposed an approach that would help create new medicines based on sulforaphane, a natural compound found in broccoli, radishes and other types of cabbage.

As the scientists explained, sulforaphane has a pronounced antitumor effect and can suppress antibiotic-resistant microorganisms. However, its use in medicine is limited by instability and low bioavailability.

Once in the body, an unprotected sulforaphane molecule is rapidly destroyed by exposure to temperature, light, and the acidic environment of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, the active substance, isothiocyanate, is rapidly distributed to healthy tissues, not having time to accumulate in the focus of the disease, and then is eliminated from the body before it can have the necessary therapeutic effect.

To protect the substance and its targeted delivery, scientists have proposed using liposomes, microscopic vesicles whose shell consists of lipids similar to those that form cell membranes. Such nanocapsules are able to protect an unstable compound from destruction in the bloodstream and ensure the gradual release of the drug.

Using high-power radiation, the researchers studied the parameters of sulforaphane's interaction with the lipid envelope. Further experiments on the SKIF synchrotron, which has a high brightness of the X-ray beam, will make it possible to monitor the formation of nanocapsules in real time. This can significantly speed up preclinical trials of domestic drugs and reduce the cost of their development and market launch.