The technique could help forecast genetic mutations related to human cancers.
It is common knowledge that people are exposed to harmful substances in the environment or through their diets. For instance, benzopyrene ,BaP is part of the group of compounds known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons . Now, PAHs are produced when organic material is burned incompletely or heated. For example, exhaust fumes from diesel vehicles and smoke from wood stoves contain PAHs. One of the most important causes of cancer can be attributed to exposure to PAHs, due to high exposure.
When BaP gets into a human body, it is metabolized and turns into a new compound that attaches itself to one of the nucleic acids in DNA called guanosine. Though irreversible, humans also contain cellular repair kits that could detach unwanted metabolites. But, it is the balance between damage and repair that largely impacts the mutations that could cause disease to carry forward when cells are replicated.
Professor Shana Sturla and colleagues wanted to investigate the balance in human cells exposed to BaP and determine the distribution of DNA damage throughout the cells' entire genomes. They created a culture medium in which human lung cells were being grown. To this, the researchers added increasing amounts of the metabolized version of BaP. After which, they could determine where the metabolite is attached to guanosines using single-nucleotide-resolution
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
DNA Methylation Found to Play a Critical Role in Alzheimer's Disease, Say Mount Sinai ResearchersFindings from novel analytic approach could contribute to discovery of new therapeutic targets for Alzheimer's disease. Mount Sinai researchers have published a study today (February 22, 2023) in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association that sheds new light on the ro
Read more »
Superbug killers: CWRU researchers develop treatment for dangerous drug resistant fungusResearchers at Case Western Reserve University are making strides to combat Candida auris, the deadly fungus, by testing a new potential treatment, thanks to a $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Read more »
Researchers confirm 5th person cured of HIV: reportThe man in Germany is referred to as “the Dusseldorf patient” to protect his identity and privacy, and researchers say he’s the fifth person to be cured of HIV.
Read more »
Fifth Man Cured of HIV, Researchers ConfirmThe case was originally made public in 2019 but scientists were hesitant to say the man was cured.
Read more »
New England researchers optimistic a tiny wasp is turning the tide against emerald ash borerSolutions like this, known as biological control, are one way scientists can deal with biological problems like the invasive emerald ash borer. Right now there are experiments across New England to see if the wasps can help save the region’s ash trees.
Read more »
Researchers Solve 80-Year-Old Vitamin D Medical Mystery That Claimed Infant LivesScientists at the University of East Anglia have solved a long-standing medical mystery that causes kidney damage in children and can be fatal in babies. Those with the condition are unable to metabolize vitamin D properly. This leads to an accumulation of calcium in the blood and causes kidney dama
Read more »