Your DNA is constantly mutating, and that’s a good thing
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What is the significance of DNA mutations in our bodies?
Hi, this is Ira Flato, and you're listening to Science Friday. Right now, your DNA is mutating. Yes, yours. Well, and mine too. And no, I'm not giving you an early cancer diagnosis. Cancer and mutations obviously go hand in hand, but you may be surprised to know that our bodily systems are rife with mutations. These errors and attempts to repair them are a key to understanding immune function, aging, and even how heart disease develops. In fact, gene mutations can even mitigate the harm caused by some inherited diseases. My next guest is here to take us on a journey through the illuminating science of genetic mutations. Roxanne Kamsey is a science writer and author of the new book, Beyond Inheritance, Our Ever-Mutating Cells and a New Understanding of Health.
She's based in Montreal, Quebec.
Welcome to Science Writer. Welcome back. Thank you so much, Ira. It's great to be back.
How do mutations contribute to immune function and disease?
Nice to have you. Okay. You know, most of us think about our DNA as it's static, it's stable, kind of like a personal ID number. How should we be thinking about how our DNA changes over the course of our lives?
So I was taught the same thing. I was taught that the DNA I inherited from my mother and my father is the same in all of my cells. And what I discovered about eight years ago was that's not the whole picture and that scientists right now are uncovering that each human body is a landscape of genetic diversity and that our DNA is dynamic. It's not static. In fact, scientists estimate that if a person reaches 100 years old, a single white blood cell will have around 3,000 mutations that are not found in the rest of their body. So this is the new understanding of genetics I really feel is important, that our DNA changes over time.
Why are mutations so rampant then in our cells?
So part of this has to do with the fact that we are a collection of cells. We all start as a single cell for the first 24 hours after we're conceived. And then by the time we reach adulthood, we're around 30 to 40 trillion cells. And that's not counting the 30 trillion cells in our gut microbiome that are microbial cells.
What does it mean for DNA to be dynamic rather than static?
And there's a lot of turnover to maintain this mass of cells that we are. Every time a cell divides, it's trying to copy its DNA and sometimes it makes errors. And when it does make errors, those mutations, those DNA mistakes stick around in all the subsequent cells. And on top of that, there's just like regular wear and tear that happens inside the cells of our bodies. So DNA breaks. And when that gets fixed, sometimes errors are introduced there as well.
In your book, you use this metaphor of the mosaic to describe how our cells grow and change over time. Why mosaic?
So I think it's important to understand that the cell in my toe, for example, is not the same as the cell in my brain genetically. And I like the idea of having a mosaic in mind because when we think about a mosaic, those pieces form a coherent whole. But when you look at them individually and compare them, there are slight differences. And I think that you can look at the human body the same way. Our cells are different. similar in that they're all working to make us, you know, sing a song or lift a spoon to our mouth. But at the individual level, there are differences, and some of those differences can be meaningful.
You know, when we think of genetic mutations that cause disease, I think we're often thinking about the ones that get passed down from our family tree, like Tay-Sachs or sickle cell. Is there a difference between inherited mutations versus the ones that develop over the course of our lives?
It's a really interesting question, and I think this speaks to why I wrote this book. I want people to understand that genetic disease is not always something that is inherited. It's something that can spontaneously develop in us. Now, if you inherit a mutation, say for a sickle cell or cystic fibrosis or Tay-Sachs, that mutation is found in all the cells of your body. But if a spontaneous genetic DNA error occurs, it is only in some of the cells of your body, going back to that idea of mosaic.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the significance of DNA mutations in our bodies?
0:03–1:03
2
How do mutations contribute to immune function and disease?
1:03–2:25
3
What does it mean for DNA to be dynamic rather than static?
2:25–5:13
4
What is the difference between inherited and spontaneous mutations?
5:13–7:30
5
How do mutations influence heart disease and stroke risk?
7:30–9:52
6
In what ways do mutations affect our immune response?
9:52–12:52
7
How can mutations potentially correct genetic disorders?
12:52–15:10
8
What future implications do mutations have for aging and health treatments?
15:10–17:08
Speakers
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