DEK Protein as a Potential Radio-protective Agent for Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs) and Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells (HPCs) in Mice

Abstract

Studies performed by our lab have investigated the potential radioprotective effect of rDEK protein. Although roles played by DEK in cell differentiation, DNA repair, DNA binding, chromatin regulating and different malignancies have been investigated previously in different cell types, the prospect of DEK being used as a potential radioprotective agent for HSCs has not yet been explored. In this study, using primary cells isolated from bone marrow of C57BL/6 mice in vitro, our data indicated that rDEK has the ability to act as potential radioprotector of HSC. Moreover, a significant decrease in percentages of caspase-3 and caspase-9 protease enzymes was observed after irradiation in presence of rDEK. Taken, together the data suggests that DEK imparts its effect as a potential radioprotective agent, via inhibiting the caspase-dependent intrinsic apoptosis pathway. We found no evidence that DEK could act as a radiomitigator but this was not tested in primary cells as well as in animals.