Woman cured of disease by DNA mutation
February 8, 2015 at 7:25 am
(This post was last modified: February 8, 2015 at 7:25 am by downbeatplumb.)
Quote:The cure was traced back to a mutation in a single cell in her bone marrow.
An event called "chromosomal shattering" in which a part of the DNA is rearranged led to 164 genes being lopped out of her DNA.
Crucially this included the mutated one that was causing the problem.
If this had happened in a muscle cell it would have made no difference to her. But it took place in a stem cell that manufactures immune cells.
That cell was able to gradually take over the bone marrow and was the starting point for a new immune system that could get into the bloodstream.
Dr Murphy told the BBC News website: "It is really kind of remarkable, she started out as this very unlucky girl and ended up winning the lottery by having this incredibly rare event, the only one reported in the world to date that basically.
"She no longer has warts, is no longer [more] susceptible to infections and no longer has blood abnormalities.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-31145601
You can fix ignorance, you can't fix stupid.
Tinkety Tonk and down with the Nazis.
