Study Reveals Melanoma DNA Mutation Source

Nikki Attkisson | Last Updated : August 3, 2021

The results challenge lengthy views about disease processes, reaffirm the necessity of preventative measures also paves the way for future research into the genesis of additional types of cancer.

According to research released today in Science Discoveries by Van Andel Center researchers, the changes that cause cancer are caused by a biochemical reaction in DNA fuelled by sunshine, rather than a DNA duplicating mistake as originally thought.

This research has changed a number of equations on which several treatments were based to date. This source of DNA as per this research is totally different from what was believed by experts with the help of the last research conducted and the line of treatment was decided.

Study Reveals Melanoma DNA Mutation Source

The experts in this research have carried out the same on various participants in areas where the sunshine is high and low. This difference has made them understand the changes in the body due to the factor of melanoma that can lead to the mutation in DNA over a period.

Study Reveals Melanoma DNA Mutation Source

The majority of malignancies are assumed to start because DNA destruction creates a change. It is subsequently passed down through the generation of cells through regular cell reproduction.

But, in the instance of cancer, Pfeifer and his colleagues discovered a distinct process that causes illness genetic changes: the addition of a basic foundation not ordinarily present in DNA, which makes it susceptible to alteration.

“Cancers result from DNA mutations that allow defective cells to survive and invade other tissues. However, in most cases, the source of these mutations is not clear, which complicates the development of therapies and prevention methods,” said Gerd Pfeifer, Ph.D., a VAI professor, and the study’s corresponding author. “In melanoma, we’ve now shown that damage from sunlight primes the DNA by creating ‘premutations’ that then give way to full mutations during DNA replication.”

Adenine (A) and thymine (T), as well as cytosine (C) and guanine (G), are the four basic elements that makeup DNA (G). Various combinations of such pairings contain all of life’s commands. UVB light from the sun causes particular combinations of compounds CC, TT, TC, and CT to physically bond up and becoming instability, which causes cancer.

As a consequence of the fragility, cytosine undergoes a chemical transformation, converting it to uracil, a basic component contained in the messenger’s protein RNA but not in DNA. This shift, known as a “premutation,” compels the DNA to change throughout regular cell reproduction, resulting in melanoma-causing changes.

“Safe sun practices are very important. In our study, 10–15 minutes of exposure to UVB light was equivalent to what a person would experience at high noon, and was sufficient to cause permutations,” Pfeifer said. “While our cells have built-in safeguards to repair DNA damage, this process occasionally lets something slip by. Protecting the skin is generally the best bet when it comes to melanoma prevention.”

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Such alterations can never produce illness immediately once, but rather lie latent for decades. They could potentially build up over time as an individual’s lifelong sensitivity to sunlight rises, leading to difficult-to-treat cancer with few treatment choices.

The results are rendered feasible by Circle Damaged Screening, a technique created by Pfeifer’s group that enables researchers to “crack” DNA at every location wherever damage happens. They next use PCR to coax its DNA into rings, which were then reproduced hundreds of times.

They employ next-generation genotyping to determine which DNA letters are located at the fractures once they have sufficient DNA. Pfeifer and coworkers intend to employ this effective technology in the future to explore other kinds of DNA damages in various cancers.


Nikki Attkisson

With over 15 years as a practicing journalist, Nikki Attkisson found herself at Powdersville Post now after working at several other publications. She is an award-winning journalist with an entrepreneurial spirit and worked as a journalist covering technology, innovation, environmental issues, politics, health etc. Nikki Attkisson has also worked on product development, content strategy, and editorial management for numerous media companies. She began her career at local news stations and worked as a reporter in national newspapers.

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