Imithi yokugomela i-DNA: Ukugxumela ekugomeni

Uyamazi umuntu oke wakhwehlela? I-Diphtheria? Isifo se-Hib? Ingxibongo? Kulungile, abantu abaningi abakwenzi. Ukugoma kusizile ukuvikela lezi nezinye izifo eziningi okufanele ukubonge ukuthi ungakaze ube nazo. Ngenxa yokugoma, okuwuhlelo olusha lwezokwelapha olusebenzisa amandla ethu emvelo amasosha omzimba, abantu besimanje baphatha amasosha omzimba ngokumelene nezifo okungenzeka bangalokothi bazithole, noma bazi ukuthi banazo.   

Emasosheni omzimba, amasosha omzimba angamaqhawe omzimba, aqeqeshelwe ukulwa negciwane. Akhiqizwa amasosha okuzivikela, ama-lymphocyte ahlukahlukene abizwa ngokuthi ama-B cell. Uma i-B cell ihlangana ne-antigen evela egciwaneni, isibonelo, iqala ukukhiqiza amasosha omzimba ukumaka igciwane ukuze libhujiswe. Lawa amasosha omzimba ayaqhubeka nokuba khona emzimbeni ukuze avimbele ukuphinde atheleleke ngekusasa. Imithi yokugoma isebenza ngokukhuthaza le nqubo ngaphandle kokuphoqa isiguli ukuthi sihlupheke ngezimpawu zesifo. 

Naphezu kwenqwaba yempumelelo yokugoma, abanye abantu basakuxwaya ukusebenzisa ubuchwepheshe be-immunology. Ingozi eyodwa esemthethweni yokugoma okujwayelekile esebenzisa amagciwane abuthaka amandla okuguquka kwegciwane; amagciwane angase aguquke abe uhlobo olusha olungasakazeka ngokushesha nangengozi. Kodwa-ke, ngesikhathi abazukulu bami nabazukulu bami begonywa, imigomo izoba namandla futhi isebenze ngaphandle kwale ngozi.   

Kusukela ngeminyaka yawo-1990s, imithi yokugomela i-DNA iye yahlolwa futhi yathuthukiswa ukuze isetshenziswe ezilwaneni. Ngokungafani nemithi yokugoma yakudala, imigomo ye-DNA ayinazo izinto ezithathelwanayo ezivikelayo, kodwa isebenza ngendlela efanayo ekukhiqizeni amasosha omzimba ngokumelene nezifo. Kanjani? I-DNA yegciwane ingacutshungulwa ngokufana nama-antigen egciwane, ngaphandle kwengozi yokuba khona kwemishini yegciwane emzimbeni.   

Ngaphezu kwalokho, imithi yokugomela i-DNA ingashintshwa futhi yenziwe ngendlela enkulu, futhi izinzile ebangeni lokushisa elibanzi elibanzi, okuvumela ukusatshalaliswa okushibhile nokulula. Imithi yokugoma ye-DNA ingabuye ihlanganiswe nezindlela zakudala zokugoma zokukhiqiza amasosha omzimba aphakeme. Le nqubo isetshenziselwe ukunciphisa inani lemithi yokugoma enikezwa izilwane, ikakhulukazi imfuyo ethengiswayo, engathola inqwaba yezibhamu ukuze kwandiswe amazinga amasosha omzimba. Inzuzo: amasosha omzimba anamandla akhiqizwa emzuliswaneni wokuqala avimbela ukugonywa okwengeziwe. 

Kungani-ke, eminyakeni engama-25, imigomo ye-DNA ingazange ibe ubuchwepheshe bokugoma? Yini evimba le ndlela eshibhile nesebenza kahle kakhudlwana ekubeni isuke kusayensi yezempilo yezilwane iye kwezokwelapha zabantu? Impendulo imane nje iwukulinganiselwa kwesimanje ekuqondeni okungokwesayensi. 

Sekuyiminyaka engu-200 kuphela kucwaningwa isimiso somzimba sokuzivikela ezifweni, kodwa sinezinto eziyinkimbinkimbi eziseyimpicabadala kososayensi. Ososayensi bezempilo yezilwane bayazabalaza nanamuhla ukukhulisa ukuthi imigomo kufanele isetshenziswe kanjani futhi kuphi kuzo zonke izinhlobo zezilwane; amandla okugoma kanye nesivinini somphumela kuyehluka phakathi kwezilwane ngenxa yokusabela kwazo okuhlukile kwamasosha omzimba.

Ukwengeza, akuqondwa ngokugcwele ukuthi zingaki izindlela eziyinkimbinkimbi zokuzivikela ezifweni ezingabangelwa ukwethula imigomo ye-DNA emzimbeni. Ngenhlanhla yethu, nsuku zonke ososayensi emhlabeni wonke benza igxathu elikhulu ukugcwalisa izikhala zolwazi mayelana nezifo eziningi kanye namasosha omzimba womuntu. Kungakabiphi, imigomo ye-DNA izoguqula ukungatheleleki kwethu, futhi ivikele izizukulwane ezizayo.