What makes a mutant?

The definition of a mutant is literally “resulting from or showing the effect of mutation” or “a mutant form”. However I think when many of us hear the words mutant or mutation we conjure up thoughts of x-men or super powers, the stuff of movies and comics. However science fiction writers often use material from real science as the basis of their worlds and characters, space travel does exist for example so it is not so hard to believe we could one day travel to distant galaxies and find alien worlds.

But what of mutants?

Well we all have mutations, in fact we have 100s of mutations, however many of these may not be playing a large role on us, they may be damaging, they may be harmful and is some cases they may be beneficial.

“Mutational effects can be beneficial, harmful, or neutral, depending on their context or location.” (Loewe 2008)

So of these beneficial mutations, can we start flying or shooting lasers from our eyes? Not quite…well not yet anyway.

Unfortunately powers that have little basis in our biology are unlikely to occur from natural mutations, but aspects like increased bone strength, muscle strength, superior intelligence amongst others all have the potential to be effected by our genes. Individuals with these super mutations do show up every now and again in certain aspects of life, the scientists with incredible IQ’s and revolutionary theories, the men and women who break through world records in sports, bodybuilders with almost impossible physiques, individuals with natural immunities to diseases and others all have mutations that may be aiding them.

Variations is the gene MSTN can lead to increased muscle mass, decreased body fat and superior sporting performance. With one study showing increased arm mass and far superior pull-up/push-up performance in a group of individuals with a rare mutation in the gene. A mutation that causes lower levels of myostatin, a protein that controls muscle mass growth.

“The study clearly shows that those with a mutation are rare, however the mutation does appear to give the subject a performance and size advantage over those with the common outcome.” (Collins 2019)

Zac Leason a bodybuilder and coach who was tested through the Muhdo Health genetic analysis showed such a mutation in his MSTN gene, the same mutation known to cause improved muscle mass, lowered body fat and improved strength.

Picture 1: Zac Leason, bodybuilder with a MSTN variation. 

Picture 2: Zac scan results showing superior lean mass and very limited fat mass. 

Commonly analysed sports gene variants in genes such as ACTN3, ACE, IGF2, NOS3 and others all aid in sporting performance, they may help predispose an individual to different muscle fibre types, becoming better at utilising oxygen, increase the level at which their blood vessels dilate or how the cells in the body can use glucose, be superior at endurance activity, heal faster and be less likely to become injured. On their own however these variations will show high prevalence in certain demographics and only when an individual has many gifts all working together could you consider an individual to be a super mutant type character.

What of other odd mutations?

Mutations in the gene SCN9A and PRDM12 can cause pain insensitivity, i.e. an individual will not feel any physical pain, this certainly sounds like something a bond villain would have. However congenital pain insensitivity is a dangerous condition as pain is essential for survival, many children with the condition have died as they have not realised they were injured or had an illness. 

Picture 3: Robert Carlyle as Renard in The World is Not Enough could not feel pain due to a bullet lodged in his brain. (https://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/villains/renard.php3)

Mutations that cause increased the expression of the gene LRP5 can cause increased bone density, to such an extent that bones may be far harder to fracture. In fact an individual with the mutation was involved in a car accident and doctors were amazed that the individual suffered no fractures. Unfortunately it is not all good news, the variation can cause excess bone growth around the skull causing deafness.

Mutations in the gene SMARCAD1 can lead to having no fingerprints, which may actually be a downgrade in today’s smartphone finger print activated world. However a would be criminal would be harder to catch without leaving those pesky fingerprints behind at the scene of the crime. 

Picture 4: John Doe in the movie Seven cut his fingerprints off as to not leave them as evidence. (https://www.atheismandthecity.com/2017/11/the-curious-case-of-john-doe.html)

Mutations in other genes can make us less prone to infection, less likely to suffer cancer causing effects for the environment and immune to diseases.

Conclusion

As discussed before we all have mutations, therefore to answer the question “what makes a mutant?” well just having a mutation. To answer in the sense of what will cause x-men type characteristics, having multiple mutations that lead to increased muscle mass, strength, endurance, intelligence, bone density and a smattering of disease immunities would certainly make for a superior human but a superhuman or metahuman that would be debatable. With the advent of gene doping, editing and utilising epigenetics to affect genes it may not be the too distant future where we see the science fiction in comics and movies coming to fruition.