DNA Repair

Preserving DNA integrity is presented as a major future breakthrough for health and longevity. Enhancing DNA replication fidelity in somatic stem cells throughout life may reduce sporadic cancer incidence. A constant restoring force is considered less plausible than a linear restoring force. The incidence data are consistent with repair mechanisms combining into a simple linear stochastic restoring force. CRISPR uses guide RNA sequences to target specific genes for editing. The fitted linear restoring force is interpreted as the aggregate effect of many DNA repair proteins and pathways. DNA molecules can be damaged thousands to a million times per day, making repair essential. The main technical concern for CRISPR is off-target editing that may harm unintended genes. A future CRISPR use case could involve replacing dysfunctional genes such as cancer-risk BRCA variants.