• Question: are genetic mutations real? and through the use of drugs can they be treated?

    Asked by sloth-savior to Zoe, Sarah, David, Aaron on 19 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: David Foley

      David Foley answered on 19 Nov 2014:

      Genetic mutations are certainly real. They are a natural consequence of imperfect DNA replication. Our cells try very hard to maintain the integrity and accuracy of our DNA code during cell division and it actually does a really good job, with less than one error in 100,000,000 base pairs!

      Most of the time when these errors occur they are harmless. They may occur in “junk” DNA that does not code for proteins. They may not alter the function of the protein at all. Sometimes though, they do affect the function of protein in good or bad ways.

      Beneficial mutations are retained and this is how we (and all life) evolve. Bad mutations cause disease, like cystic fibrosis and cancer.

      Because mutations affect proteins, and we can target proteins with drugs, we can treat the effects of genetic mutations in a lot of cases. Currently, we are just starting to be able to repair the problem at the DNA level. This would have the advantage of being one-pill cure, but is far more difficult to achieve mainly because delivering DNA to our bodies is very hard. We tend to digest foreign DNA for food, not allow it to wander willy-nilly around our bodies!!

    • Photo: Sarah Ashwood

      Sarah Ashwood answered on 19 Nov 2014:

      Your DNA is constantly replicating and every so often mutations happen – often without notice or any tangible outcome. But sometimes these mutations do cause changes with the protein and this can lead to diseases such as cancer.

      We can treat these mutations – there is so much research in cellular biology looking at repairing genetic mutations at a cellular level – but currently treatments are focused on the resulting proteins and the effect it is having.

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