World First: Scientists Observe DNA Shuttling Between Cells, Triggering Tumor Growth

Scientists have made a groundbreaking new observation, one of DNA of a particular type that actually shuttled or moved between the cells of an animal. The way this happens involves actually primarily not the genome within the nucleus but the much smaller genome of the mitochondria. Scientists observed mitochondrial DNA, or mtDNA, that could be transferred from healthy cells to tumor cells which would promote cancer growth. While the spread of cancer is evidently a very dangerous interaction, there also rises the new possibility that we may be able to replace malicious genes with synthetic and constructive ones instead! As previously known by scientists, mtDNA is very prone to mutations since there is not a very effective proofreading system for its genes, at times causing disease. Scientists believe that if they remove the mtDNA from cancerous cells they may be able to stop the tumors. However, when they tested it out they realized that it was uneffective and the tumor cells grew regardless. They realized then that mtDNA was present even without the mitochondria, and then made the discovery that it was migrating from other cells, though they are not quite sure yet where exactly it had come from (it was obvious though that it was from healthy, non-tumorous cells around them). The observation opens up a whole new field with lots of room for experiments and new discoveries.

This is relevant to the things we have learned regarding to genetic modification and the genomes of organisms in all sorts of way. The first connection, is link between how mitochondria have their DNA, relevant to how they may have originally been a separate organism that joined with other bacteria to create the first multicellular organism cells. But more largely, it relates back to how we could have possibly opened up all sorts of new doors in the field of genetic modification. For example, may it be possible for us to genetically alter some of the genes in our body and then possibly have the DNA migrate to the rest of the cells and end up with all of the cells genetically modified. Also, genetically modifying mtDNA could have other potential benefits that modifying regular DNA does not. Who knows what other key discoveries this one may lead to.


http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/world-first-scientists-observe-dna-shuttling-between-cells-triggering-tumor