Mutant worms in Chernobyl immune to radiation: incredible discovery

#Mutant #worms #Chernobyl #immune #radiation #incredible #discovery

Some small worms found in the area of Chernobyl it seems we have not reported any effects from exposure to radiation from the 1986 disaster. Contrary to what one might believe, this species of animal, despite living in an extremely dangerous place, is exceptionally resistant. The discovery comes from a research team led by biologists from New York University who sequenced the genomes of a species of nematodes collected in areas of high and low radioactivity around the former nuclear power plant, demonstrating that worms exposed to high levels of ionizing radiation reported no mutations in their DNA.

Mutant worms immune to radiation discovered in Chernobyl

In addition to the mutant wolves, these extraordinary little worms have now also been discovered in Chernobyl. The scholars observed that exposure to chronic radiation from Chernobyl did not damage the genomes of the microscopic worms. The animals selected for the study belong to the Oscheius tipulae species. The researchers carefully analyzed the genome of these worms, comparing it with those of specimens collected elsewhere in the world, but found no evidence of mutations due to environmental radiation.

Chronic exposure to radiation ionizing it significantly increased the risk of mutations, cancer and death in the species remaining in the exclusion zone, but strangely it did not damage the genome of the little worms. However, the researchers don’t know how long each analyzed specimen remained in the exclusion zone, so they aren’t exactly sure how much radiation each worm was exposed to. The scholars then conducted some tests on the descendants of all 20 worms, exposing them to different chemical mutagens in the laboratory. And although each lineage had a different level of tolerance, this resistance was not shown to be greater in the descendants of the Chernobyl worms.

Because this discovery could revolutionize medicine

The team therefore concluded that there is no evidence of a genetic impact due to the harmful environment of the Chernobyl exclusion zone on the genomes of Onions, but the findings are interesting because they could help understand why some people are more susceptible to developing cancer than others. In fact, scientists have identified which strains of worms are most sensitive to damage to their own DNA. Using these strains one can study why different individuals are more likely than others to suffer the effects of carcinogens.

How different individuals of a species respond to DNA damage is a priority for cancer researchers trying to understand why some humans with genetic predisposition to cancer develop the disease, while others do not. “Thinking about how individuals respond differently to DNA-damaging agents in the environment is something that will help us have a clearer view of our risk factors,” said Sophia Tintori, lead author of the study which was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. A curiosity, we eat every day radioactive food which actually naturally contains a radioactive isotopic mixture like bananas.