//Copies of this essay are available in the library for students to read. A copy has also been sent to the Hogwarts Hospital Wing, Professor Sprout, the current potions teacher, and Headmaster Snape for review.

Clayton Roberts
Ravenclaw Year 3

Magical Medicine, RNAi, and Analysis of Lycanthropy

Magical Medicines in the form of potions and elixirs has been a ground breaking discovery in the wizarding world. Such potions have been known to cure diseases of viral, bacterial, and fungal origin, as well as induce the subject with special properties not normally found in humans. In the muggle world, scientists have been able to produce antibiotic and antifungal medicines to combat many diseases, however, the problems imposed by many viruses have continued to slip through the fingers of modern medication, and remind of us of their constant threat. One thing, however, has baffled wizards everywhere since the beginning of witchcraft.

How exactly do medicinal potions work? The laws concerning magical medicine have been, for the most part, well understood in what they do, however, the theory behind it still remains unknown. Perhaps the answers can be found by looking at how illnesses are caused in the first place. In this entry, only illness relating to viral infections, cancers, and magical diseases will be discussed, as they are the only ones that the wizarding world has been able to cure, while the muggle world has not.

First, we must understand how cells function, and what happens when one becomes ill from a viral infection. One of the key functions of a cell is known as translation, the reading of Messenger RNA (mRNA - Blueprints for synthesizing proteins) and creation of new proteins with amino acids and conformational changes in their structure. RNA is the molecular counterpart of DNA (The blueprints of genes), made up of similar components, that are constructed from DNA itself, to be used in many cellular processes, mainly the production of proteins.

Proteins are what allow us to express our genes and display phenotypes, also acting as enzymes to allow important chemical reactions to take place. The colors of one’s skin, eyes, hair, are all due to the synthesis and presence of certain proteins. If these proteins are not present, then phenotypes such as pigmentation would not be present; and if the mRNAs for these proteins are not translated, there will be no proteins.
The idea that RNA is directly involved in the regulation of gene expression began with a puzzling observation in 1990, when two scientists attempted to deepen the color of the purple flowers of a plant by introducing them with extra copies of a gene encoding a pigment-producing enzyme. However, strangely enough, instead of the purple flowers deepening in color, they lost color, and became white. Further study concluded that both the added genes and their normal counterparts were being created, but the resulting mRNA were somehow being degraded. This has become known as posttranscriptionalgenesilencing (PTGS)

It wasn’t until 1998 that an answer for why this happened was proposed: A phenomenon known as RNA interference, or RNAi. After many tests and studies, it has been discovered that cells have developed a defense mechanism to ward against viruses. When double stranded RNA is injected into a cell, since it is foreign and not created by the cell itself, it is promptly cleaved by the enzyme “Dicer” into what is called Small Interfering RNA (siRNA). The double stranded RNA fragments are the unwounded by another enzyme into single stranded siRNA. Then, the single stranded siRNA will bind to its complementary mRNA, and both factors are destroyed. This destruction of mRNA stops the production of whatever protein the mRNA coded for right in its tracks. The processes in non-mammalian cells is slightly different, but yields the same effect.

Now we look at viruses. Many viruses will inject a cell with its own genetic material, often mRNA of its own. This mRNA will be translated by the cell itself, just what the virus wanted. The viral mRNA codes for proteins that assist in the creation of new virus particles, that will assemble inside the cell, causing the cell’s death, and break out to spread more viral genetic material to other cells.

Many studies have been conducted to see whether or not be can manipulate RNAi to prevent viruses from reproducing. The theory is that if we were to inject a cell with double stranded mRNA that corresponds to a viruses mRNA, all traces of the viral mRNA will be destroyed before they are used to produce proteins leading to the creation of more viruses. So far, this idea has been put to the test and has been shown to be very promising in curing many viral infections and cancers.

Clayton’s Theory of Magical Medicine

So then how might magical medication work? This theory proposes the fact that magical medication contains double stranded RNA complimentary to viral genetic material. This would explain the short recovery time of illnesses after the use of magical medication. When the potion is taken, the double stranded RNA molecules are absorbed into the body, where they halt the production of abnormal, viral proteins. Different potions for different illnesses contain different double stranded RNA to cause RNAi that will combat the disease. The theory also suggests that the ingredients to these magical potions contain the double stranded RNA capable of specific RNA interference.

Analysis of Lycanthropy and RNAi

It has been long understood by wizards that the bite of a werewolf is capable of spreading the feared disease known as lycanthropy, the disease that causes the victim to transform into a half-man, half-werewolf being during the full. How is this possible? Applying these occurrences and symptoms to an understanding of human biology, we may have the answer.

First of all, we can see that lycanthropy is spread through the bite of a werewolf. The reason for this is due to the lycanthropy virus being present a werewolf’s saliva. When a victim has his skin broken by the teeth of a werewolf, the virus is transferred from saliva into the victim’s bloodstream. When the virus enters the bloodstream is begins it viral attack by infecting the victim’s cells, injecting its own genetic material, which then mutates the victim’s DNA.

We can see this happen similarly in cancer caused by viral infections. Some viruses have the ability to mutate a victim’s DNA, specifically their proto-oncogenes (Anti-Tumor genes), turning them into oncogenes, which stimulates cell growth by the production of certain abnormal proteins, causing cancer.

In lycanthropy the same thing seems to be occurring. The virus alters the structure and sequence of the victims DNA to produce lycanthrope proteins, the proteins responsible for causing the transformation from human to werewolf.

Why are lycanthrope proteins only synthesized during full moons? Muggle scientists have noted that cells are capable of responding to their environment, such as signals from other cells, and even signals from photons (particles given off by light).

Thus, one theory, proposed by Clayton Roberts, is that the mutated DNA that codes for lycanthrope producing mRNA that codes for the lycanthrope protein is only activating when the victim’s cells are signaled by the specific radioactive photons produced by moonlight, and only in large quantities: large quantities that can only be produced during a full moon. Other moons simply are not bright enough to give enough photon exposure to cause the synthesis of the lycanthrope protein.

How can we prevent the activation of lycanthropy mutated DNA? Wizards have already learned how, thanks to the Wolfsbane Potion invented by Damocles around the mid-1970s, but how does it work? Given the previously proposed theories, the main ingredient in a Wolfsbane potion is the plant known as Aconite (Also known as Monkshood or Wolfsbane), which contains double stranded RNA that is complementary to the lycanthrope mRNA synthesized from the mutated DNA.

If this potion is taken before a full moon, it will lessen the effects of lycanthropy and prevent transformation into a full werewolf. This is due to RNA interference, where the double stranded RNA in the potion activate the destruction of lycanthrope mRNA, stopping, or greatly reducing the production of the proteins responsible for lycanthropy, even if the mutated lycanthrope DNA is activated by its photon receptors.

Why is there no cure for lycanthropy? There is simply no cure because the viral infection causes a genetic mutation in the victims DNA which cannot be fixed, similarly to cancer. Using the same principals however, it may be possible to eliminate all effected cells through advanced chemotherapy and radiation treatment, however this may not work, given that it seems that most cells in the victim’s body contain the mutated DNA, and in order to kill the disease you will most likely kill the patient.

Better understanding how lycanthropy infected cells receive photon signals, and how RNA interference works may ultimately lead to a medication that fully prevents lycanthropy transformation. One way may be to remove the photon receptors in cells responsible for activating the disease, although this may have other untold side effects on the patient. With the successful manipulation of RNA interference, however, we may just find the cures for cancer and other viral infections, both mundane and magical.

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Clay Roberts - Fourth Year Newb