Doctors from the US, UK, and Singapore have collaborated to cure genetic heart conditions by “rewriting” DNA. Base and prime gene editing will be used in the heart to silence incorrect genes. This will help direct the heart muscle to work properly. Heart muscle abnormality genes have a high chance of being passed on through generations. This new technology will reduce the number of deaths, heart failures, and heart transplants by fixing gene mutations. Errors in genes will create errors in DNA translation . DNA is turned to mRNA by adding matching nucleotides in the process of transcription. The mRNA then goes to the ribosome of the cell, where the mRNA is translated into proteins. If the wrong proteins are created due to DNA mutations, then the heart will not be able to function properly, since the muscle of the heart relies on certain proteins to contract and relax. Blood will not be able to reach all of the body if the muscles of the heart are too weak to pump.
I think it’s important that base and prime gene editing is perfected, because there are many people that need heart transplants, and it is very difficult to find matching donors. There are also many other ways that this technology can be used. If it’s successful in the heart, then it could be applied in other areas of the body, which would reduce the number of people in need of an organ donation. Cancer is caused by DNA mutations, so this could also be applied to fix the errors in DNA that cause the cancer cells to rapidly divide and spread.
I read an article about how men lose their y chromosome as they age which can cause scar tissue in their hear and lead to heart attacks. I wonder if this could be used to treat this. This was very interesting to read!
ReplyDeleteThis article was fascinating to read, its great to see how far medicine has come and what it can do now a days. My older brother had multiple open heart surgeries when he was younger so I wonder if scientists can also possibly find a way to help those individuals like my brother who are possibly going through the same situation.
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