{"id":2484,"date":"2021-06-17T12:30:11","date_gmt":"2021-06-17T09:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ludci.eu\/magazine\/?p=2484"},"modified":"2021-06-17T12:53:59","modified_gmt":"2021-06-17T09:53:59","slug":"science-facts-about-mutations-and-the-development-of-a-vaccine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ludci.eu\/magazine\/science-facts-about-mutations-and-the-development-of-a-vaccine\/","title":{"rendered":"Science facts about mutations and the development of a vaccine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Writes Dr. V.E Kalodimou<\/strong><\/h2>\n


\n<\/strong>Director Flow Cytometry-Research and Regenerative Medicine Department
\nIASO MATERNITY HOSPITAL<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A mutation is an alteration\/change in the genetic material, (the genome), of a\u00a0cell,\u00a0of a living organism or of a virus that is more or less permanent and that can be transmitted to the\u00a0cell’s\u00a0or the virus’s descendants. Mutations also occurred as the result of environmental factors such as UV light and cigarette smoke.<\/p>\n

Over a lifetime our DNA can undergo changes or \u2018mutations?<\/sup>\u2019 in the sequence of\u00a0:,\u00a0A, C, G\u00a0and T. (Figure 1) This results in changes in the\u00a0proteins\u00a0that are made.\u00a0This can be a bad or a good thing.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Figure 1:<\/strong> An illustration to show an example of a DNA mutation. By Genome Research Limited<\/p>\n

Cells often can recognize any potentially mutation causing damage and repair it before it becomes a fixed mutation.<\/p>\n

Mutations can also be inherited, particularly if they have a positive effect. For example, the disorder sickle cell anemia is caused by a mutation in the gene that instructs the building of a protein called hemoglobin. This causes the red blood cells to become an abnormal, rigid, sickle shape. However, in African populations, having this mutation also protects against malaria.<\/p>\n

Mutation can also disrupt normal gene activity and cause diseases, like cancer. Cancer is the most common human genetic disease; it is caused by mutations occurring in a number of growth-controlling genes. Sometimes faulty cancer causing genes can exist from birth, increasing a person\u2019s chance of getting cancer. On the other hand the beneficial mutations also known as \u2018good\u2019 mutations, lead to new versions of proteins that help organisms adapt to changes in their environment. Beneficial mutations are essential for evolution to occur. They increase an organism’s chances of surviving or reproducing, so they are likely to become more common over time.<\/p>\n

Some\u00a0mutations\u00a0are\u00a0hereditary\u00a0because they are passed down to an offspring from a parent carrying a\u00a0mutation\u00a0through the germ line, meaning through an egg or sperm cell carrying the\u00a0mutation.<\/p>\n

There are also nonhereditary mutations that occur in cells outside of the germ line, which are called somatic mutations.<\/p>\n

So, can a mutated gene be corrected? Most treatment strategies for\u00a0genetic\u00a0disorders do not alter the underlying\u00a0genetic mutation; however, a few disorders have been treated with\u00a0gene\u00a0therapy. This experimental technique involves changing a person’s\u00a0genes\u00a0to prevent or treat a disease.<\/p>\n

Mutations\u00a0can\u00a0lead to\u00a0changes in the structure of an encoded protein or to a decrease or complete loss in its expression. Because a change in the DNA sequence affects all copies of the encoded protein,\u00a0mutations\u00a0can be particularly damaging to a cell or organism.<\/p>\n

We have 4 types of mutation:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Germline\u00a0mutations\u00a0occur in gametes. Somatic\u00a0mutations\u00a0occur in other body cells.<\/li>\n
  2. Chromosomal alterations are\u00a0mutations\u00a0that change chromosome structure.<\/li>\n
  3. Point\u00a0mutations\u00a0change a single nucleotide.<\/li>\n
  4. Frame shift\u00a0mutations\u00a0are additions or deletions of nucleotides that cause a shift in the reading frame.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Mutations\u00a0are\u00a0caused\u00a0by environmental factors known as mutagens, include:<\/p>\n