Russian scientist of the “Nobel” of chemistry: “The repair of DNA is known, is not known – as” – Moskovsky Komsomolets

The Institute of Molecular Biology. Engelgarta RAS commented the Nobel Prize in Chemistry – 2015

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If our DNA does not possess its own “repair team” people hardly even lived out up to 20 years. For proof of the existence of this “gang”, which acts as dozens of its own reduction enzymes of the body, and received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry Swede Tomas Lindahl and two Americans – Paul Modric and Aziz Sankar. Well, the “MK” has asked to comment on this event Russian expert, head of the Laboratory of genome organization of the Institute of Molecular Biology. Engelgarta RAS Nikolai Chourikova.

Photo : AP

– While the work on the repair (repairing) DNA gave “Nobel” I want to say that all the same the importance of this work is still undervalued, – says Nikolay Andreyevich. – For every day in our genome, there are thousands of injuries. And if we now know how the body repairs damage, it allows us to hope in the future to do to get rid of a number of dangerous diseases.

– How is the failure?

– Damage – is a violation of a particular combination of nucleotides, the chemical components of which consist of DNA. A person in one cell nucleus contains DNA – is 3 billion nucleotides in the 23 chromosomes, which, when deployed, extended by 2 meters. So if the nucleotide sequence is destroyed due to any internal reasons or due to external factors such as ultraviolet irradiation, radiation, chemical agents, the cell or dies, or repaired, that is restored or repaired part, whereby it may be one or other diseases such as cancer. And as shown by the work of the winners of Lindahl, Modrica and Sankara, the organism is successfully fighting with them through a variety of its own enzymes. Knowing them, we can increase or stop the repair processes in DNA, depending on the disease.

– I mean, not all the enzymes act as necessary?

– First, not all operate with absolute success, and secondly, many of them can not cope with the work, because we have deteriorating environment, and therefore increases the load on the genome.

– How should people be treated? Introducing further reducing enzymes in the body?

– The unequivocal answer to this question is no. There is even the view that some enzymes should, on the contrary, to “turn off” to, for example, lack of protection kill cancer cells. But this weapon – a double-edged, so you can leave without protection and healthy cells. So the questions remain. Solution of the use of open winners of enzymes – a topic for a future Nobel Prize.

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