Mutagenesis

Mutagenesis is the biological process by which the genetic information of an organism is changed, resulting in a mutation. This process can occur spontaneously due to errors in DNA replication or can be induced by exposure to external agents known as mutagens, such as ultraviolet radiation or specific chemical compounds (National Human Genome Research Institute, 2024). While mutagenesis is a fundamental driver of evolution and genetic diversity, it is also a primary cause of cancer and various hereditary diseases when mutations occur in critical genes like oncogenes or tumor suppressors (Nature Education, 2014). In pharmacology and drug development, mutagenesis is not a therapeutic target molecule (such as a receptor or enzyme) but rather a process to be monitored for safety (genotoxicity testing) or utilized in the laboratory (site-directed mutagenesis) to study protein function and drug-target interactions (PubMed, 2023).

Other names

Genetic mutationDNA mutationInduced mutation

Not applicable as mutagenesis is a biological process rather than a molecular target.