Daniel Escobar MacíasMedicine Third semester

2012-1

Methylation is a chemical process capable of “turning off “ the expression of a gene good. This is the case with certain tumor suppressor that normally act as a brake on cancer process by preventing cells from dividing uncontrollably, but in the presence of this chemical alteration are inactivated.

The scientists focused on a mutation coding for ribosomal RNA, it was found that cells containing this mutation were more sensitive to apoptosis, because this mutation increased the expression of the enzyme responsible for methylation.

In general, the harmful effects of reactive oxygen species in the cell are:

1. Damage to DNA

2. Polyunsaturated fatty acid oxidation

3. Oxidation of amino acids in proteins

Genetic defects in DNA repair machinery are associated with increased genetic susceptibility to cancer family

Antioxidants assist in preventing damage caused by

 reactive oxygen species by eliminating free radicals

The scientist has decoded a repair mechanism for the mutated DNA bases. This mechanism efficiently copies thousands of 8-oxo-guanines without their harmful mutations, thus normally preventing the negative consequences of 8-oxo-guanine damage.

This studies make easier to find out how the organism work

cans lead new researches to find efficient treatments for patients who can be affected from deafness and other diseases

What´s found on these studies, someday mankind will be able to heal this kind of diseases.

Nuno Raimundo, Lei Song, Yale University (2012, February 17). How mitochondrial DNA defects cause inherited deafness, ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 18, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120217115611.htm

Enni Markkanen, Barbara van Loon, University of Zurich (2011, December 27). Oxidative DNA damage rpair, ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 18, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2011/12/111227153752.htm

Martínez LM. Replicación genética, 6. ed. Medellín:

Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana; 2009. p. 74 - 84.