NIH Director's Blog

You might recall from biology class that the cells constantly replicating and dividing in our bodies all carry the same DNA, inherited in equal parts from each parent. But it’s become increasingly clear in recent years that even seemingly healthy tissues contain neighborhoods of cells bearing their own acquired genetic mutations https://directorsblog.nih.gov/2019/06/18/study-finds-genetic-mutations-in-healthy-human-tissues/). The question is: What do all those altered cells mean for our health?