Ukuhlela okuyinhloko: Ukuguqula ukuhlelwa kofuzo kusuka kubhusha kuya kudokotela ohlinzayo

• About the Author:
• Igama lomlobi

  I-Quantumrun Foresight
• Kwangathi 10, 2023

Nakuba kuwuguquko, ukuhlela izakhi zofuzo kube indawo yokungaqiniseki ngenxa yesistimu yakho enephutha yokusika yomibili imicu ye-DNA. Ukuhlela okuyinhloko sekuzokushintsha konke lokho. Le ndlela isebenzisa i-enzayimu entsha ebizwa ngokuthi umhleli oyinhloko, engenza izinguquko ezithile kukhodi yofuzo ngaphandle kokusika i-DNA, okuvumela ukunemba okwengeziwe nokuguqulwa okumbalwa.

Umongo wokuhlela oyinhloko

Ukuhlela izakhi zofuzo kuvumela ososayensi ukuthi benze izinguquko eziqondile kukhodi yofuzo yezinto eziphilayo. Lobu buchwepheshe bungasetshenziswa ezinhlelweni ezahlukene, okuhlanganisa ukwelapha izifo zofuzo, ukwenza imithi emisha, nokwenza ngcono isivuno sezitshalo. Kodwa-ke, izindlela zamanje, njenge-CRISPR-Cas9, zincike ekusikeni zombili izintambo ze-DNA, ezingathula amaphutha kanye noguquko olungahlosiwe. Ukuhlela okuyinhloko kuyindlela entsha ehlose ukunqoba le mikhawulo. Ukwengeza, ingenza uhla olubanzi lwezinguquko, okuhlanganisa ukufaka noma ukususa izingxenye ezinkulu ze-DNA.

Ngo-2019, abacwaningi base-Harvard University, beholwa usokhemisi kanye nesazi sebhayoloji uDkt. David Liu, bakha ukuhlela okuyinhloko, othembisa ukuba udokotela ohlinzayo okudingeka ukuhlela ufuzo ngokusika umucu owodwa njengoba kudingeka. Izinguqulo zakuqala zale nqubo zazinemikhawulo, njengokukwazi ukuhlela izinhlobo ezithile kuphela zamaseli. Ngo-2021, inguqulo ethuthukisiwe, ebizwa nge-twin prime editing, yethula ama-pegRNA amabili (i-prime editing guide RNAs, esebenza njengethuluzi lokusika) engahlela ukulandelana okubanzi kwe-DNA (amapheya ayisisekelo angaphezu kuka-5,000, okuyimigqa yeladi le-DNA. ).

Ngaleso sikhathi, abacwaningi e-Broad Institute bathole izindlela zokuthuthukisa ukusebenza kahle kokuhlela okuyinhloko ngokuhlonza izindlela zamaselula ezikhawulela ukusebenza kwayo. Ucwaningo lubonise ukuthi izinhlelo ezintsha zingahlela ngempumelelo izinguquko ezibangela i-Alzheimer's, isifo senhliziyo, i-sickle cell, izifo ze-prion, kanye nesifo sikashukela sohlobo lwe-2 ngemiphumela embalwa engahlosiwe.

Umthelela ophazamisayo

Ukuhlela okuyinhloko kungalungisa izinguquko eziyinkimbinkimbi ngokuba ne-DNA ethembeke kakhudlwana esikhundleni, ukufakwa, kanye nendlela yokususa. Ikhono lobuchwepheshe lokwenza izakhi zofuzo ezinkulu nalo liyisinyathelo esibalulekile, njengoba amaphesenti angu-14 ezinhlobo eziguqukayo atholakala kulezi zinhlobo zofuzo. UDkt. Liu nethimba lakhe bayavuma ukuthi ubuchwepheshe busesigabeni sokuqala, ngisho nangawo wonke amandla. Noma kunjalo, benza izifundo ezengeziwe ukuze ngelinye ilanga basebenzise ubuchwepheshe bezokwelapha. Okungenani, bathemba ukuthi amanye amaqembu ocwaningo nawo azozama ubuchwepheshe futhi athuthukise ukuthuthukiswa kwawo kanye nezimo zokusebenzisa. 

Ukubambisana kweqembu locwaningo cishe kuzokwenyuka njengoba ukuhlolwa okwengeziwe kwenziwa kulo mkhakha. Isibonelo, ucwaningo lweCell lubonise ubudlelwano phakathi kweHarvard University, Princeton University, University of California San Francisco, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, kanye neHoward Hughes Medical Institute, phakathi kwabanye. Ngokusho kwabacwaningi, ngokusebenzisana namaqembu ahlukahlukene, bakwazi ukuqonda indlela yokuhlela okuyinhloko nokuthuthukisa izici ezithile zohlelo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ubambiswano lusebenza njengomfanekiso omuhle wokuthi ukuqonda okujulile kungaqondisa kanjani ukuhlela kokuhlolwa.

Izicelo zokuhlela okuphambili

Ezinye izinhlelo zokusebenza zokuhlela okuphambili zingabandakanya:

• Ososayensi abasebenzisa ubuchwepheshe ukukhulisa amaseli anempilo nezitho zokufakelwa eceleni kokulungisa ukuguqulwa kwezakhi zofuzo ngokuqondile.
• Ushintsho olusuka ekwelapheni nasekulungiseni luye ekuthuthukisweni kofuzo njengobude, umbala wamehlo, nohlobo lomzimba.
• Ukuhlela okuyinhloko kusetshenziselwa ukuthuthukisa isivuno sezitshalo nokumelana nezinambuzane nezifo. Ingase futhi isetshenziselwe ukwakha izinhlobo ezintsha zezitshalo ezifanele kangcono izimo zezulu noma izimo ezikhulayo.
• Ukwakhiwa kwezinhlobo ezintsha zamagciwane nezinye izinto eziphilayo ezinenzuzo ezinqubweni zezimboni, njengokukhiqiza ama-biofuels noma ukuhlanza ukungcoliswa kwemvelo.
• Amathuba omsebenzi anyusiwe amalebhu ocwaningo, izazi zofuzo, nochwepheshe be-biotechnology.

Imibuzo okufanele icatshangelwe

• Ohulumeni bangakulawula kanjani ukuhlela okuyinhloko?
• Ngabe ucabanga ukuthi ukuhlela okuphambili kungashintsha kanjani ukuthi izifo zofuzo zelashwa futhi zixilongwe kanjani?