study Linksโข Increasing โPaternal Age to Higher โRisk of Genetic โMutations in Offspring
A new study published in Nature reveals a concerning link between increasing paternal ageโ and a rise in geneticโ mutations within sperm, potentially elevating the risk โขofโค inherited diseases in children. Researchers โขhave discovered a subtle form of natural selection occurring within the testes, leading to the prevalence โฃof โcertain mutations during spermโฃ production, beyond the typical accumulation of random DNA errors.
The research, involving 81 healthy volunteers, showed โขa correlationโ between age and theโ presenceโฃ of mutations โwith potential pathogenic effects. โฃApproximately โข2% โof men agedโ 30 years carried โคthese mutations, compared to โข3-5%โ of men between 43 and 74, and 4.5% in those 75 โyears or older. โThese genetic changesโฃ have been associated with severe neuronal developmentalโ disorders,increased risk of hereditary cancer,and defects impacting fertilization and embryo development.
“Some changes in DNA โขnot onlyโ survive, but thrive inside โคthe testicles,” explains Professor Matt Hurles โof the โWellcome Sanger Instituteโ inโ theโฃ UK. โคThis suggests that fathers โขwho delay parenthood may unknowingly transmit harmful mutations โฃto their children.
A complementary study, analyzing data from over 54,000 parent-child trios and approximately 800,000 healthy individuals, further supportedโค these findings. Researchers identified overโข 30 genesโข where specific mutations appeared to giveโค sperm a competitive advantage during cellularโฃ multiplication,โ a process of internal natural selection. Many ofโค these genes were also observed directly in semen samples.
The โขresultsโ demonstrate that evolution can be observedโค in real-time โฃwithin human โDNA, as certain mutations areโค favored during sperm production. The study highlightsโข a “hidden genetic risk” that increases withโฃ paternal age and can influence a child’s likelihood ofโค inheriting certain genetic disorders.
The researchโ was conducted by an international genetic team coordinated โby the โขSanger Welcome Institute, a world-renowned genomic โขresearch center located in Hinxton, Cambridge.Founded in the 1990s, the instituteโ played a pivotal role in the Human Genome Project and โฃcontinues toโข be a leader in โgenetics,โ genomics, and molecular biology, โคstudying โthe impact of genetic variationsโข on disease, evolution, โand organismal development. โฃThe institute is funded by Wellcome โTrust, a major โphilanthropic foundation dedicated to โhealth and science.
Linksโฃ to original studies: