Mutagenesis and its biomedical consequences

We are working to understand what causes changes to the DNA sequence in our cells. New DNA changes are called mutations. Some of these mutations drive the development of cancer, some cause inherited disease and they may contribute to the ageing of our bodies. But many, perhaps most, have no effect. Mutations can come about through natural processes in our cells, or they can be caused by exposure to damaging environments such as ultraviolet radiation in sunlight, dangerous chemicals in tobacco smoke, and as a side-effect of some medical treatments. Our work reveals the mechanisms that lead to these mutations. Learning about the causes of mutations tells us a great deal about the processes in our cells that copy and repair DNA. This can suggest new ways to treat cancers. The patterns of mutations we see in a cancer can reveal defects that may be allowing the cancer to grow, but might also be used to target treatments specifically to that cancer. Working out the patterns of new mutations helps us find those rare ones that have an important effect. This can help understand disease or target therapies. We specialise in making the most of data that already exists, which extracts the maximum insight from past investments and minimises the use of animals. Where the data we need doesn’t exist, we work with other groups in the MRC Human Genetics Unit, and international collaborators to efficiently generate it.