NewsAnimalsA tardigrade protein helped reduce radiation damage in miceHumans undergoing similar radiation for cancer treatment often suffer painful side effects A protein unique to tardigrades (one shown here under a microscope) can help reduce DNA damage caused by radiation in mice.Videologia/iStock/Getty Images PlusBy Rohini Subrahmanyam40 seconds agoA protein found in tardigrades tiny animals less than a millimeter long can protect mice from radiation damage.Most cancer patients undergo radiation therapy as part of their treatment, often leading to devastatingly painful side effects. But there may be hope for mitigating some of that damage. Mice with cells engineered to produce a protective protein unique to tardigrades experienced reduced radiation damage, researchers report February 26 in Nature Biomedical Engineering.Radiation attacks the DNA of tumor cells, preventing tumor growth and eventually killing it. But it also damages the DNA of healthy tissue near the tumors, destroying those cells, too. People undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer can develop damaged throats or mouths, making eating and drinking extremely painful. Prostate cancer patients may experience rectal bleeding.