Chemiexcitation and Its Implications for Disease.
Trends Mol Med
; 24(6): 527-541, 2018 06.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-29751974
ABSTRACT
Quantum mechanics rarely extends to molecular medicine. Recently, the pigment melanin was found to be susceptible to chemiexcitation, in which an electron is chemically excited to a high-energy molecular orbital. In invertebrates, chemiexcitation causes bioluminescence; in mammals, a higher-energy process involving melanin transfers energy to DNA without photons, creating the lethal and mutagenic cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer that can cause melanoma. This process is initiated by NO and O2- radicals, the formation of which can be triggered by ultraviolet light or inflammation. Several chronic diseases share two properties inflammation generates these radicals across the tissue, and the diseased cells lie near melanin. We propose that chemiexcitation may be an upstream event in numerous human diseases.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Fenómenos Bioquímicos
/
Susceptibilidad a Enfermedades
Límite:
Animals
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Trends Mol Med
Asunto de la revista:
BIOLOGIA MOLECULAR
Año:
2018
Tipo del documento:
Article