One mutation can counterbalance another

A deleterious mutation, represented here by a break in a biological process ( orange ), can be compensated for and thus rescued by a mutation called a "suppressor" ( pink ). © andries.ch - In most diseases caused by a single gene, the deleterious mutation could be corrected by another mutation, called a "genetic suppressor". This is what researchers at the University of Lausanne, led by Jolanda van Leeuwen, have discovered, opening up potential new therapeutic avenues. Genetic mutations are constantly appearing in the DNA of our cells. In humans, the mutation rate is less than 1%, but never reaches zero. These mutations do not necessarily have pathological consequences, but they can have deleterious effects on the functioning of our genes, leading in some cases to the development of disease. However, Nature has a way of doing things: mutations, known as 'genetic suppressors', can compensate for the damaging effect of the former.