Showing posts with label epigenetics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label epigenetics. Show all posts

Monday, July 20, 2015

Maybe we can"t always blame #genetics after all. Take #responsibility for your #health. - http://clapway.com/2015/07/20/studies-show-bad-genes-dont-always-lead-to-the-most-debilitating-diseases-234/

Research in the field of genetics is still a mystery to experts. Experts have dedicated their lives to studying genetics to find the causes for numerous things including diseases, mutations, and other defects that appear in humans, but most come up empty handed due to how little is actually known about how genes operate. A Canadian research team has unlocked one of the great mysteries in the field of genetics, having proven conclusively that bad genes don’t always mean that you are destined to inherit bad diseases.


Some diseases that may be inherited through bad genes


Some diseases believed to be carried genetically include cystic fibrosis, breast cancer, hemophilia, Parkinson’s disease, and sickle cell disease. These and many others are passed down through a person’s personal genome–that is, they inherited them from their parents good or bad genes, and their parent’s parent’s good or bad genes–so on and so forth until they have ended up with the hereditary disease. This is why patients with a history of cancer in their family are at a much higher risk of getting cancer themselves.


According to the University of Toronto’s newly published article in Cell, the likelihood of inheriting a disease is less dependent on heretics and more dependent on the individual than ever thought before, “Many mutations cause genetic disorders. However, two people inheriting the same mutation often have different severity of symptoms, and this is partly genetic. The effects of genetic background on mutant phenotypes are poorly understood, but predicting them is critical for personalized medicine.”


dna


What does this new research reveal about genetics?’


University of Toronto researchers have now shown that receiving the mutations in genes that cause these terrible diseases doesn’t necessarily mean that there is going to be a high level of severity associated with the mutations received. The degree to which the disease affects the individual is contingent upon factors which lie buried in the DNA and not necessarily bad genes.


According to the professor Andy Fraser at the University of Toronto, “We have shown how genetic background–that is, the unique set of DNA letters present in any person’s genome – influences the severity of any genetic disease.”


How can experts take what they’ve learned here and apply the information in a way that will help humanity?


This eye opening information will change the way that we view genetics in terms of medicine. Knowing how the severity of a disease relies so heavily on the individuals DNA rather than bad genes in their DNA having been passed down to them, will allow the focus to shift when studying the debilitating mutations. This breakthrough in genetic research could potentially save millions of lives.



 


Good or bad though your genome may be, taking care of yourself is essential. Let HidrateMe help:




Studies Show Bad Genes Don"t Always Lead to the Most Debilitating Diseases

Friday, May 29, 2015

Epigenetic Study: How Environments Affected Ancient Humans - http://clapway.com/2015/05/29/new-epigenetic-study-how-environments-affected-ancient-humans123/

A new study from The University of Texas at Austin concluded that there are epigenetic marks on DNA that can be found in a high degree of ancient human remains, and that these signs can shed light on the effects that the natural environment had on ancient populations.


Explaining epigenetic marks


Epigenetics examines the chemical adjustments to DNA. These modifications are known as epigenetic “marks,” and they contribute to deciding which genes are expressed. Typically, epigenetic marks stay constant throughout a person’s life, but can be altered when environmental factors like diseases, climate and diet come into play. Moreover, if such an alteration is made to sperm or egg DNA, the changes on DNA will become hereditary.


The study looks at these epigenetic marks of ancient humans, and attempts to understand the genes that are expressed during their lives, as well as how environmental factors have molded their physical traits and health properties throughout generations.


Studying epigenetics in North America


The team of scientists searched specifically for the epigenetic mark known as cytosine methylation. They sought this mark in the ancient remains of 30 humans from five archaeological sites throughout North America. The remains ranged from 230 to more then 4,500 years old. Fortunately, the scientists recovered samples of cytosine methylation in a surprising 29 of the remains.


To study these marks, the researchers employed a technique called bisulfite sequencing, a method popularly used to study methylation in modern DNA. Initially, they didn’t think that this technique would work on ancient DNA, as it reduces the DNA. Fortunately, the results proved otherwise.


The successful study proves that examining ancient DNA from concentrate archaeological populations could potentially give us a lot of insight into how natural environments in the past affects populations and societies. This could tell us even more about the lives that ancient humans lived.


Previous studies examining epigenetic marks


One of the most notable studies of epigenetics was of people who suffered from famine in utero during World War II. The study showed striking changes in epigenetics that related directly to diet, metabolism and physical growth. Other current DNA studies show that the changes in epigenetics are related to types of cancer, and potentially to the development of cancer.



Epigenetic Study: How Environments Affected Ancient Humans