Personal Assessments of Mutagen Exposure

These types of tests may even be valuable for routine medical monitoring, in that many persons have higher background mutation rates, due to inefficient DNA repairprocesses. Thus, it is possible that routine assessment of mutagen rate, using a low cost approach, may be applicable to the general public.

Development of Blood Kits, Dosimeters

This invention is designed to focus only on large coding regions that represent a greater likelihood of being mutated, as determined by USF research, to a large extent due a stochastic process of mutation that inevitably leads to more mutations in larger ΓÇ£targetsΓÇØ, in this case, larger coding regions. For example, large genes (or coding regions) that have the highest likelihood to be mutated can be grouped into categories that offer highly effective screening for people who may have had mutagen (including radiation) exposure. Specifically, through obtaining blood cells or other cells from an individual, ideally in a noninvasive manner, the cells can serve as a source for DNA. A relatively few larger sized genes in the DNA can then be sequenced to obtain an indication of mutagen exposure, a much cheaper and more efficient option than sequencing the entire cellΓÇÖs DNA. The novel aspects of this technology have potential in the development of new blood test kits or ΓÇ£dosimetersΓÇØ that more can accurately monitor personal mutagen exposureand personal risk for related diseases, such as cancer development at very low cost.

USA