Abstract
Micronuclei (MN) are a nuclear abnormality that occurs when chromosome fragments or whole chromosomes are not properly segregated during mitosis and consequently are excluded from the main nuclei and wrapped within nuclear membrane to form small nuclei. This maldistribution of genetic material leads to abnormal cellular genomes which may increase risk of developmental defects, cancers, and accelerated aging. Despite the potential importance of MN as biomarkers of genotoxicity, very little was known about the optimal way to measure MN in humans, the normal ranges of values of MN in healthy humans and the prospective association of MN with developmental and degenerative diseases prior to the 1980’s. In the early 1980’s two important methods to measure MN in humans were developed namely, the cytokinesis-block MN (CBMN) assay using peripheral blood lymphocytes and the Buccal MN assay that measures MN in epithelial cells from the oral mucosa. These discoveries greatly increased interest to use MN assays in human studies. In 1997 the Human Micronucleus (HUMN) project was founded to initiate an international collaboration to (i) harmonise and standardise the techniques used to perform the lymphocyte CBMN assay and the Buccal MN assay; (ii) establish and collate databases of MN frequency in human populations world-wide which also captured demographic, lifestyle and environmental genotoxin exposure data and (iii) use these data to identify the most important variables affecting MN frequency and to also determine whether MN predict disease risk. In this paper we briefly describe the achievements of the HUMN project during the period from the date of its foundation on 9th September 1997 until its 26th Anniversary in 2023, which included more than 200 publications and 23 workshops world-wide.
| Originalsprog | Engelsk |
|---|---|
| Artikelnummer | 108511 |
| Tidsskrift | Mutation Research - Reviews in Mutation Research |
| Vol/bind | 794 |
| Antal sider | 15 |
| ISSN | 1383-5742 |
| DOI | |
| Status | Udgivet - 2024 |
Bibliografisk note
Funding Information:We acknowledge the support of scientists, other health professionals and students who have enabled the realisation of the goals of the HUMN project over the past 26 years. We apologise if we have not mentioned all the studies that were directly or indirectly associated with the HUMN project activities. A special acknowledgement is due to the volunteers who donated blood and/or buccal cell samples and the staff at clinics who collected the samples. We also greatly appreciate the efforts of those who helped to organise the HUMN workshops to disseminate knowledge about the lymphocyte and buccal MN assays and their application to measure DNA damage in human populations. The authors consisted of the founding members of the HUMN project and other members who joined the HUMN project over the 26-year period via their roles as chief investigators of projects done in collaboration with the HUMN project. The list of references includes mainly papers co-authored by members of the HUMN project who collaborated together to meet the project objectives. We also acknowledge the support of national or international institutions and funding bodies that have supported the participation of their members in the HUMN project activities, including: Allgemeine Unfallversicherungsanstalt (AUVA) - the Austrian Workers Compensation Board, Vienna, Austria; Center for Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia (CSIRO); University of South Australia. Professor Alec Morley is also acknowledged for guiding Michael Fenech towards studying lymphocyte micronuclei for his PhD project at Flinders University in South Australia.
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© 2024 The Authors