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Human embryos can automatically correct errors in their own DNA
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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A new discovery was made in the European Association for Human Reproduction and Embryology. The author of the study is Professor William G. Cairns. He said that human embryos with genetic defects can automatically correct errors in their own DNA, promoting the growth of normal cells and minimizing the vital activity of those cells that have an incorrect number of chromosomes.
The doctor and his colleagues managed to witness the dynamic process, which was called "genetic normalization." Particularly interesting is the fact that this phenomenon was observed in a three-day embryo.
At the moment, researchers are studying the mechanisms and processes in the body that make it possible to self-repair the DNA of the cells. The results can be used in the treatment of infertility, as well as in the development of new types of stem cells. Tests performed on pregnant women showed that genetic mutations are widespread, but most of them self-destruct during the first days of pregnancy. Due to short terms, it is extremely difficult to track such processes. As a rule, all changes occur before the fifth day of pregnancy.
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