Non-canonical amino acids (in mice)

Reading: How scientists are hacking the genetic code to give proteins new powers, Nature technology feature, 20 June 2023.

File under “incredible” and “terrifying (provisional)”.

It seems our DNA and the transcription/translation machinery is hackable to the extent of being able to augment the 20 amino acids we use with alternatives. The proteins produced then have different properties.

For example:

In 2020, [Wang’s] team incorporated the non-canonical amino acid fluorosulfate-L-tyrosine (FSY) into PD-1, an immune checkpoint protein that helps to rein in the body’s immune response, to create an anti-tumour drug. Typically, the interaction between PD-1 on T cells, and PD-L1 on tumour cells, dampens the immune response, allowing the tumour to escape immune surveillance. When Wang’s team injected the FSY-containing PD-1 into mice engrafted with human cancer cells, the protein formed an irreversible covalent bond with PD-L1, causing the tumours to shrink.

Sounds like one technique in this family works like sed for your RNA.

I found the above news item while trying to understand what Abiologics was doing.