X-Men resembling mutants are already among us. This is one of the best-kept secrets of the genomics industry. The Big Pharma industry is quietly studying them for decades with hopes of finding recipes for new super-drugs. However, contrary to the Hollywood script, in reality these mutations are as often seen as a hindrance by their bearers.
For instance, Steven Pete, a resident of Kelso, in the state of Washington, possesses a congenital insensitivity to pain. He doesn't feel a thing even if he holds his hand directly over an open flame. While some might imagine this as a gift able to help him getting to the top echelons of an elite military unit, he lives in a reality in a heightened state of physical insecurity.
Steven is ever cautious that he may not realize even if suffering some terrible physical trauma. Since the principle symptom of a burst appendix is an internal acute pain alerting an individual to what has happened, Steven is particularly worrisome he would get sick and not even know it. His parents were terrified when he was an infant that he might bite off his tongue without even realizing it.
However, there are also some superhuman type mutations that are not as life threatening or troublesome. For example, Timothy Dreyer has his bones several times thicker than normally. This makes him capable of withstanding some type of stunts as the mighty character Wolverine of X-Men. Of course, conditions like Dreyer's went not unnoticed by the pharmaceutical companies interested in treating bone density disorders and preventing osteoporosis.
Andreas Grauer from the Amgen pharmaceutical company called Pete and Dreyer and Pete "a gift from nature." He added that the obligation of the medical community is to turn such gifts "into something useful." It's not so sure that most of the people suffering of mutations and possessing this kind of traits feel the same way. However, the doubt hasn't stopped Big Pharma from pursuing bigger profits.
Surprising is that many of us are also likely to possess such rare mutations without even knowing it. According to genomics researchers, an average of 60 unique mutations is introduced to the genetic code when parents pass down their genes to their children. These mutations are not present in the parents' DNA. Some of these could be off the radically altering variety found in people like Dreyer and Pete. Often these mutations have no effect on phenotype, however in rare cases it is possible to receive a mutation from one's parents conferring extraordinary ability.
For example, 20% of people of European decent have a mutation in the FOXO3 gene that affects ones chances of living to be over 100. People having this mutation are over two times more likely to become centenarians. This can be a useful theme of study for pharmaceutical companies researching for a drug to arrest aging.
Another common mutation in the ACTN3 gene makes one gifted in sports lie powerlifting or sprinting since it provides improved muscle performance. According to genomics researchers, it appears that most of the Olympic-level sprinters have this mutation. This suggests that performance in sports have already become the exclusive domain of mutants. The X-Men series showing a society with "superhumans" in their midst seems to not be far from reality.
