Nanopores could map small changes in DNA that signal big shifts in cancer
Excerpt: "Detecting cancer early, just as changes are beginning in DNA, could enhance diagnosis and treatment as well as further our understanding of the disease. A new study by University of Illinois researchers describes a method to detect, count and map tiny additions to DNA called methylations, which can be a warning sign of cancer, with unprecedented resolution.
The method threads DNA strands through a tiny hole, called a nanopore, in an atomically thin sheet of material with an electrical current running through it. The study was published in the inaugural issue of the journal npj 2D Materials and Applications, a new journal from Nature Press.
"One or a few methylations is not a big deal, but if there are many of them and they are packed close together, then it's bad," said study leader Jean-Pierre Leburton, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Illinois. "DNA methylation is actually a starting process for cancer. So we want to detect how many of them there are and how close together they are. That can tell us at which stage the cancer is."
My comment: The DNA methylation is needed for successful cellular differentiation. Every cell inside you is having the same gene sequences, which means there has to be another information layer for differentiating cells for their tasks. This information layer is called epigenome and it consists mainly of methyl groups on cytosine bases and histones. Within most organisms, methyl groups are laid down during embryonic development. This is usually done by short non coding RNA-molecules.
Environmental factors, like diet, stress and climate, affect the DNA methylation patterns and levels. This is why we can observe changes in organisms. But methylation patterns can also get disrupted due to oxidative stress and viruses, for example. This can lead to diseases, such as cancers. And disrupted methylation profiles are the main reason for genetic mutations, tells this study:
http://biopublisher.ca/index.php/cge/article/html/2260/
This is why it is justified to conclude that genetic mutations are caused by poor nutrition, stress, toxins, smoking, alcohol etc.
Life is not driven by gene sequences. Genes are driven by lifestyle. The theory of evolution is a major lie. Don't get misled.
