How are Nucleic Acids Used in Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment?
Nucleic acids are increasingly used in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cancer:
- Biomarkers: Genetic and epigenetic changes in nucleic acids can serve as biomarkers for early detection, diagnosis, and monitoring of cancer. - Targeted Therapies: Drugs designed to specifically target genetic mutations or epigenetic modifications are being developed. For example, PARP inhibitors target DNA repair pathways in cancers with defective BRCA genes. - Immunotherapy: Techniques like CAR-T cell therapy involve modifying the patient's T-cells at the nucleic acid level to recognize and attack cancer cells. - Gene Editing: Technologies like CRISPR-Cas9 offer potential for correcting genetic mutations directly within cancer cells.
