Quantum mechanics as a tool to decipher the mutational landscape of human disease

Quantum mechanics (QM) is emerging as a powerful framework for studying disease-related mutations at the atomic and subatomic levels, providing mechanistic insights beyond those of classical models. In this review, we examined primary research to evaluate the extent to which QM is used to understand mutational mechanisms across various disease contexts. Our search was conducted in PubMed using the keywords "quantum mechanics" AND "mutations." We also reviewed the reference lists of the retrieved articles for relevant data. All review articles were excluded. The final number of selected articles was thirty-four. These studies were categorized into two main modules: QM applications in non-communicable diseases and QM-based approaches to infectious diseases. In non-communicable diseases, especially cancer and neurodegeneration, QM simulations help clarify how mutations influence enzymatic catalysis, protein dynamics, and drug-target interactions, thereby improving our understanding of DNA repair, metabolic reprogramming, and resistance to targeted therapies. In communicable diseases, QM approaches can reveal how alterations in pathogens' genetic material impact protein-receptor interactions, virulence, and treatment effectiveness. Our findings highlight QM's role in shifting from discovery to therapeutics and underscore its applications in biomedicine. These advances could speed up drug development and personalized medicine.