Applying the Mechanisms of DNA Repair to Treatment
DNA is the blueprint of our bodies. That DNA is constantly being damaged and repaired. Unraveling the mechanisms of this repair leads to the development of cancer treatments. With the desire to cure cancer and save many lives, Professor Atsushi Shibata has long been immersed in unraveling the mechanisms of DNA repair, which is a fundamental principle of life.
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Atsushi Shibata
Faculty of Pharmacy Professor, Division of Molecular OncologyAtsushi Shibata
Faculty of Pharmacy Professor, Division of Molecular Oncology
Imagining What Happens Inside the Body in Detail
"Our DNA can be damaged and broken even while we are talking like this. The reason we can continue to live is that our bodies are equipped with mechanisms to repair it."
Thousands to tens of thousands of DNA lesions occur every day. The mechanisms of DNA repair are unraveled by imagining all kinds of previously unknown possibilities and testing hypotheses that had not been considered. Professor Shibata is clarifying how cells choose a specific repair pathway from many options, rather than there being just one. This new way of thinking was also the proposal of a new concept. Professor Shibata believes that by unraveling the mechanisms of DNA repair one by one, we can sustain human life. By using everyday tools—such as power cords or stationery—to represent DNA and cells and moving them around, Professor Shibata tries to generate new concepts by exercising his imagination regarding what is happening inside cells.
Connecting to Drugs That Cure Cancer
The mainstream of cancer research is the use of clinical specimens. Professor Shibata is conducting research to contribute to cancer treatment not only by using specimens but also by connecting clinical practice with basic science. In radiation therapy, which destroys cancer cells, Professor Shibata's research group discovered that radiation not only causes DNA damage but also induces immune response mechanisms that attack foreign substances, thereby destroying the cancer cells themselves. They also found that blocking the mechanism by which cancer cells escape the immune response after radiation therapy results in a high rate of cure. However, there are still patients who are not cured. This means there are other ways cancer cells escape the immune response. Professor Shibata is trying to find those methods. "Elucidating the mechanism by which DNA damage and repair are repeated in cells every day is exactly what leads to treatment." Continuing to repeat hypothesis testing with his imagination in full gear, Professor Shibata's challenge continues.
Q. What is pharmacy to you?
A. Knowing the mechanisms of the body and sustaining life.