Oxidative DNA Damage Repair Essay

DNA is a nucleic acid that has the genetic instructions which all living organisms use to function except for RNA viruses. Oxidative stress on the other hand is a discrepancy between the production of reactive oxygen species and an organism’s ability to biologically facilitate detoxification or repair the resultant damage. This oxidative stress can cause DNA damage. Researchers have however discovered how such DNA is repaired and this makes the possibility of less invasive cancer treatment options achievable. Oxidative stress causes a variety of diseases especially when the body is exposed to electrically charged oxygen compounds. Such diseases include diabetes, arteriosclerosis and many types of cancer. The sources of these compounds include metabolic processes, exposure to X-rays or UV light.Oxidative DNA Damage Repair Essay Disease manifests when the body’s defenses are overpowered and the aggressive oxygen compounds destroy genetic material. This process leads to the formation of 8-oxo-guanine base mutations which are harmful. Enni Markkanen from the University of Zurich in partnership with the University of Oxford decoded the mechanism of DNA repair. Organisms achieve this by copying thousands of 8-oxo-guanines without their harmful mutations. The researchers give a detailed outline of the mechanism in a publication in “PNAS” including its temporal and local coordination. The researchers expect that less invasive approaches to cancer therapy will be developed thanks to the discovery of this repair mechanism. In addition, early detection of cancer is also expected to become more efficient. A study coordinated by the researchers and the University Hospital Zurich, currently underway, is aimed at examining different samples of cancerous tissue so as to understand their repair genes and mechanisms of regulation.