G.I.T. scientists examine DNA mutations in cancer

Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology are providing new insights into the role of DNA mutation in triggering cancer. The process that gives rise to mutations in DNA, or mutagenesis, is a complex one involving a series of chemical reactions which are not completely understood. A free radical, a stable neutral atom or a chemical group containing at least one unpaired electron can scavenge an electron from DNA in a process known as oxidation, creating a hole in place of the scavenged electron. Such oxidation events can be caused by natural processes occurring in the body or by ionizing radiation. It's known that the ionization hole can travel long distances of up to 20 nanometers along the base pairs that form the rungs of the DNA ladder. It is also known that the hole tends to settle longer at spots in the DNA where two guanines (G) are located next to each other. The next step, though, has eluded DNA researchers for decades. Somehow, the hole in the ionized DNA reacts with water. This critical step is the first in a series that brings about a change in the DNA molecule--one that evades the body's proofreading mechanism and leaves the altered DNA coding for the wrong proteins. When the wrong proteins are produced, it can lead through a complicated chain of events to an abnormally high rate of cell division. The result is cancer.

- see the release from the Institute