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Monthly Archives: February 2017
The most well-funded healthtech startups – VatorNews
Posted: February 28, 2017 at 5:49 am
We're thrilled to have the founders and CEOs of the most well-funded healthtech startups join us on stage at our Splash Health, Wellness and Wearables conference on March 23, 2017 in San Francisco.
They are: Mario Schlosser, co-Founder and CEO of Oscar Health, Craig Venter, co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Human Longevity, and Martin Varsavsky, Founder and CEO of Prelude Fertility.
Join us at our third annual Vator Splash Health, Wellness & Wearables! Register herebefore tickets jump at the door!
Mario Schlosser, co-Founder and CEO of Oscar Health.
Oscar Health has raised more than $700 million in VC financing from notable VCs including Founders Fund, Breyer Capital, Google Capital and Thrive Capital, the $1 billion dollar venture fund based in NY and founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, special advisor to his father-in-law President Trump. Kushner is also a co-founder of Oscar Health, which has a reported value of $2.7 billion.
Oscar Health has focused on providing individual healthcare and launched on the exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act. But now that it's being rolled back via an executive order issued by President Trump, within hours of him taking the oath of office, the question is what does this mean for Oscar, which has signed up 135k individuals?
The company already plans on offering insurance to employers this year. But the exchange is seeing mass exodus from insurance carriers - Humana is pulling out of the exchange in 2018, arguing the risk pool is unbalanced. United Healthcare pulled out of many statesin 2016. Aetna's chief executive said marketplaces are in a "death spiral," noting that Aetna is the only insurer on the exchange in Nebraska. Tom Price, Health and Human Services secretary said in a statement: "Obamacare has failed -- harming patients and making it harder for families to make ends meet."
We'll also talk to Craig Venter, co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Human Longevity, which is trying to catch disease before symptoms appear.
Craig Venter is one of the first people to sequence the human genome. He's started three companies and has sailed around the world, discovering new species. Apparently, he's even created his own synthetic life. Now his new venture, after being one of the first to sequence the human genome in the '90s, is to use the human genome to understand diseases before they manifest in humans. And he's raised $300 million from GE Ventures, and DFJ, to name a few stellar venture firms.
He believes the way to extend life is to catch diseases well before symptoms appear. In order to understand whether impending disease exists inside a person, that person has to undergo a thorough screening. The screening costs $25,000 accordding to Forbes, which laid out the steps required: two 35-minute sessions in an MRI tube, stool samples, ultra sound and CT scans, etc. But is it worth it? Some physicians express over-action that could lead to other complications. But Venter has already saved lives, according to an article in Fortune.Still with the cost, when does this become a reality for the average person?
Image source: Wired
We'll also have Martin Varsavsky, Founder and CEO of Prelude Fertility.
Prelude Fertility burst into the scene last fall when the company was profiled by countless publications, after it raised $200 million in a Series A. Of course, much of those funds were put toward acquiring existing infertility facility, called Atlanta-basedReproductive Biology Associatesand an egg bank, called My Egg Bank North America.
Prelude is riding on the coattails of an after-40-yrs-old baby boom. Last year, for the first time in 70 yrs, women over 40 gave birth to more babies than women under 20 yrs old, according to the Office of National Statistics. It's probably the first time ever this has happened, but we're assuming the office doesn't have stats prior to that time. And according to National Vital Statistics, women over 50 had more births in 2016 than the prior year.
But 40 and 50 aren't exactly the best reproductive years. That's why more firms are offering to pay their female employees to freeze their eggs in their 20's and early 30's so that by the time they're middle-aged, they can give motherhood a go. Facebook and Apple kicked off this trend in 2014. Now Google, Intel, Spotify among others, also offer egg-freezing benefits, according to Stephanie Lee, a Senior Reporter at Buzzfeed, who will join us at Splash Health as a moderator for a panel on preventative care. Will providing fertility beneifts be a must-have benefit employers give to retain their employees? Seems like it should be but the jury is still out on whether frozen eggs will lead to successful births. Or said more accurately, how many frozen eggs are needed to lead to at least one succesful birth.
Image source: Menorcatechtalk
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Average life expectancy increasing slowly in Nigeria – Vanguard
Posted: at 5:49 am
By Sola Ogundipe
AVERAGE life expectancy is increasing slowly in Nigeria but remains lower than many poorer countries in Africa, even as longevity continues to rise globally and average life expectancy is expected to hit 90 in some developed countries by 2030.
While countries in Asia and Europe are witnessing rapid increase in life expectancy, countries in Africa are witnessing slower growth, due to problems of economic, social and developmental significance.
According to the World Health Organisation, WHO, the life expectancy at birth and at age 65 is improving globally as a result of better adult and child health, as well as improved maternal care.
But while the average life expectancy for women at birth will most likely exceed 85 years, women in African countries like Nigeria may not fare as well as Asian and European counterparts, even as the gap in life expectancy between males and females shrink, according to The Lancet.
Higher life expectancy
The large international study reveals that more countries in the developed world will continue to witness higher life expectancy than in the developing world in the next 15-30 years.
Overall, average life expectancy will rise in many countries by 2030, breaking through 90 years in some places,but is expected to still be relatively low in Nigeria and policymakers may have to make more efforts to plan for the increase in longevity.
Global ranking: With a current life expectancy of 54.07 years, Nigeria is ranked 216 in the world, and 16th in Africa. Thirty seven years ago, average life expectancy in Nigeria was 44.74 years, ranking 58th in the world and 21st in Africa.
In 2020, the average life expectancy in Nigeria is expected to rise to 55.23 years (ranking 214 globally and 14th in Africa), while in 2030, it will be 59.20 years (ranking 212) and by 2050, hit 68.15 (ranking 209 globally and 9th in Africa).
According to the Top 100+ rank countries of the world by statistics gathered by the U.S. Census Bureau. Rankings (2012 2050), for 2017, Nigeria is ranked No. 3 in the world.
With an estimated total population of 192,908,804 comprising 96,260,905 females and 96,647,900 males, Nigeria is the worlds 7th most populous country.
Nigerias population of persons aged 0-4 years (approx 31,329,912 ), is the worlds 3rd highest while the mortality rate of males aged 1-4 years (60.61 per 1,000 births) is the 5th highest.
In Nigeria, females have an average life expectancy of 57.49 years (ranking 209 in the world), while males are ranked at 224 with an average life expectancy of 50.85 years. Average death rate in Nigeria is 12.17 per 1,000 which is 24th highest in the world.
South Koreans to live longest: According to the study, South Koreans are likely to have the highest life expectancy in the world by 2030 and the United States one of the lowest among developed countries.
Overall, average life expectancy will rise in many countries by 2030, breaking through 90 years in some places, and policymakers need to make more efforts to plan for it.
The fact that we will continue to live longer means we need to think about strengthening the health and social care systems to support an ageing population with multiple health needs, said Majid Ezzati, the lead researcher and a professor at Imperial College Londons school of public health.
Study outcomes: Led by Imperial scientists in collaboration with W HO, the study found that among high-income countries, the United States is likely to have the lowest life expectancy in 2030, with men and women expecting to live 79.5 and 83.3 years respectively similar to middle-income countries like Croatia and Mexico.
This was partly due to a lack of universal healthcare in the United States, and also due to factors such as relatively high child and maternal mortality rates, and high rates of homicides and obesity, the study said.
In Europe, French women and Swiss men were predicted to have the highest life expectancy, averaging 88.6 years for French women and nearly 84 years for Swiss men.
Upper limit for life expectancy
South Korea came out top of the predictions, with the researchers predicting a girl born in South Korea in 2030 should expect to live 90.8 years, while a boy could reach 84.1 years.
Upper limit: Many people used to believe that 90 years is the upper limit for life expectancy, but this research suggests we will break the 90-year-barrier, Prof Ezzati said.
We repeatedly hear that improvements in human longevity are about to come to an end.. (but) I dont believe were anywhere near the upper limit of life expectancy if there even is one.
South Koreas much greater average life expectancy is expected to be due to factors including good childhood nutrition, low blood pressure, good access to healthcare, and newer medical knowledge and technologies.
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Dustin Pedroia Praises Tom Brady For Career Longevity, Continued Success – NESN.com
Posted: at 5:49 am
Following David Ortizs retirement, Dustin Pedroia seemingly has become the elder statesman of the Boston Red Sox.
The four-time MLB All-Staris heading into his 12thseason with the Red Soxand will be leading a team made up of mostly younger players.
Pedroia enters the 2017 campaign at 33 years of age, long removed from his days as a big league up-and-comer. However, he hopes to keep playing at a high level for a number of years, and apparently has taken tips from a fellow New England athlete on how to do so.
Speaking on WEEIs BradfoShow, Pedroia praised New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for his unprecedented longevity and approach to improving at his craft.
I understand what he does and know what he does. I think its awesome, Pedroia told Bradford, as transcribed by WEEI.com. Theres a reason why hes successful at his age, and he looks better now than he did when he first came to the league. You have to be smarter as you get older and learn different styles the way to train and the way you take care of your body to be able to perform and stay on the field. It doesnt matter what sport youre playing. Hes definitely got that figured out.
Pedroia divulged into how training changes as an athlete gets older, and how attention to detail is critical.
There aretons of ways to take care of your body, he said. Its not just get in the weight room and throw weights around. As you get older, the human body cant take the pounding if youre going in there and power lifting. When youre younger, you can handle some of that. But as you get older, you got to be smarter. Sometimes less is more whether thats weight or reps or whatever. Youve just got to be smart. And eating wise, thats a big part of recovery. If you put the right foods in your body, youll heal faster if youre injured or recover faster.
Boston fans surely are hoping that the Red Sox can cap off their 2017 season the same way the Patriots did in Super Bowl LI.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
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Matching up fruit flies, mushroom toxins and human health – Phys.Org
Posted: at 5:49 am
February 27, 2017 by Allison Mills Drosophila guttifera is another species Thomas Werner studies in his genetics lab. Credit: Thomas Werner
Pulling data from 180 different lines of fruit flies, researchers from Michigan Technological University compared resistance to a toxin found in mushrooms like the Death Cap and Destroying Angel. Their results were published by PLOS ONE this week.
The team's main finding is the genetic mechanisms that control the toxin resistance correspond to the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway that regulates cell physiology and metabolism in humans and other mammals. The findings could open up new possibilities for studying cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes, depression and neurodegenerative diseases.
Alpha-amanitin Resistance
Not all fruit flies come into the kitchen on grocery store bananas; not all fruit flies like mushrooms. With a surprising amount of diversity, fruit fly species have adapted many niche preferences, such as a tolerance for alpha-amanitin, or alpha-amanitin, a toxin found in the Amanita genus of poisonous mushrooms.
Thomas Werner, an assistant professor of biological sciences at Michigan Tech, is the corresponding author of the new PLOS ONE paper, and the study builds on his previous work showing how alpha-amanitin resistance may be related to pesticide resistance in Asian fruit fly strains. Ever since, he and his team have worked on figuring out how fruit flies build resistance to the toxins and the resistance's effects on longevity.
"We found that there are multiple mechanisms that make sense," Werner says, explaining that the mechanisms focused on the genetic regulation of detoxification enzymes. "And the more resistant the fruit flies were, the longer they lived."
Initially, the team looked at a single, highly resistant strain of Drosophila melanogaster from Taiwan. Then they pulled in 180 lines of fruit flies collected at a Raleigh, North Carolina farmer's market for comparison. The crew relied on nearly 30 undergraduates to help do prep in the lab; eight are co-authors on the paper.
mTOR Pathway
Werner's team used genome-wide association mapping to help connect the dots between varying levels of fruit fly resistance. By putting big data techniques to work, they were able to screen genetic traits and nucleotide sequences to better discern candidate genes that control the toxin resistance.
"To do the analysis, we decide on a trait, which we will test in all 180 lines," Werner says. "We selected mushroom toxin resistance and found continuous variation in the lines."
From there, the data are sorted into two columns. Werner and his team then had to look for corresponding sequences of genetic codelike an elaborate children's matching game. The result: the matches kept pointing to the mTOR pathway, which is shared among mammals and insects.
"It's a central metabolic pathway that is very complicatedit's a key hub that is being widely researched right now," Werner says.
This initial connection to mTOR opens up many new lines of study, particularly in human health. Werner also says digging deeper into why fruit flies evolve this resistance could shed light on its advantage as a pre-adaptation device. A better understanding of the resistance's evolution mechanisms could offer insight into many diseases including cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes, depression and neurodegenerative diseases.
Explore further: Fruit fly genetics reveal pesticide resistance and insight into cancer
More information: PLOS ONE, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173162
For being so small, fruit flies have had a large impact on genetic research. Thomas Werner, an assistant professor of biological sciences at Michigan Technological University, has bridged the miniscule and the massive in ...
To understand genetic mechanisms underlying insecticide resistance, scientists employed fruit flies and caffeine, a stimulant surrogate for xenobiotics in lab studies on resistance.
(Phys.org)Spots on the butts of fruit flies are really, really small. But what a researcher and his graduate student are discovering about them could be gigantic.
The so-called spotted-wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) was first described from Japan in the 1930s. In 2008 it was recognized as an emerging global pest of soft-fruit crops. Among commercially important fruits, D. suzukii ...
Scientists searching for the genomics version of the holy grail more insight into predicting how an animal's genes affect physical or behavioral traits now have a reference manual that should speed gene discoveries ...
Heather Hallen spent eight years looking for poison in all the wrong places. Alpha-amanitin is the poison of the death cap mushroom, Amanita phalloides. The Michigan State University plant biology research associate was looking ...
Gang warfare is not unique to humans - banded mongooses do it too.
Fossil hunters have found part of an ancient primate jawbone related to lemursthe primitive primate group distantly connected to monkeys, apes and humans, a USC researcher said.
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Most dog owners will tell you they consider their beloved pets to be members of their families. Now new research suggests that dogs may be even more like us than previously thought.
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The iron-containing molecule heme is necessary for life. Cells require heme to perform the chemical reactions that produce energy, among other critical tasks.
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Eczema-taming ointment could be made with bacteria from your own … – Genetic Literacy Project
Posted: at 5:48 am
Teruaki Nakatsuji and Richard Gallo from the University of California, San Diego, have discovered that some bacteria which naturally live on human skin produce chemicals that kill S. aureus[a bacterium that can cause severe skin infections].
[The duo then] went after the bacteria themselvesisolating them from people with a skin disease called atopic dermatitis (eczema), growing them, and adding them to a cream. The result: a personalized ointment for killing S. aureusand hopefully treating eczemausing bacteria that come from a persons own skin.
The team focused on one [type of bacterium]a strain of S. hominis called A9Strain A9 produces several new antibiotics that seem to specifically suppress the growth of S. aureus, including the drug-resistant versions that we know as MRSA.
Protective staph strains like A9 dominate the skins of healthy people, buteven in people with eczema, the protective strains arent totally absent. Theyre still there. So what happens if you give them a boost?
As expected, the levels of S. aureus fell by more than 90 percent. In two cases, the troublesome microbe disappeared entirely.
Its a big step towards using microbial therapies to treat skin disease, says Shruti Naik, from Rockerfeller University.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post:A Probiotic Skin Cream Made With a Persons Own Microbes
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Women’s stress levels before pregnancy could influence risk of eczema in their future children – HealthCanal.com (press release) (blog)
Posted: at 5:48 am
Infants whose mothers who felt stressed before they fell pregnant had a higher risk of eczema at age 12 months, new Southampton research has shown.
The study from the Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, is the first to link preconception maternal stress to the risk of atopic eczema in the child.
The researchers believe the findings support the concept that eczema partly originates as a baby develops in the womb and could reveal ways of reducing the risk of the skin condition.
The research, published in Clinical and Experimental Allergy, assessed the stress levels of women recruited to the Southampton Womens Survey before they were pregnant. They were asked to report how stressed they were in their daily lives. A sub-group were asked about their psychological wellbeing.
Around 3,000 babies born into the Survey were then assessed for eczema at ages six and 12 months.
Dr Sarah El-Heis, the studys lead researcher from the University of Southampton, comments: We know that maternal stress can release certain hormones that can have an effect on the babys immune response, leading to an increased risk in conditions like eczema.
More than one in six women of the mothers in the Southampton Womens Survey reported that stress affected their health quite a lot or extremely our analyses showed that their infants had a 20% higher likelihood of developing atopic eczema at age 12 months when compared with the remainder of the study cohort. The findings also showed that stress and low mood experienced closer to the time of conception may have a greater impact on the risk offspring atopic eczema.
The research showed similar findings of an increased risk of infant eczema for the women who reported psychological distress before they became pregnant. The associations were robust to adjustment for other influences, including a history of eczema in the mother, smoking during pregnancy and infant gestational age, sex and breastfeeding duration.
Professor Keith Godfrey, Director of the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre in Nutrition, added: Previous research has linked low maternal mood after delivery with an increased risk of eczema in the infant, but the new research showed no association between postnatal mood and eczema after taking account of preconception stress. More research is needed to investigate this interesting association, but the findings are further evidence of the influence preconception maternal health and wellbeing has on infants.
University of Southampton
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Women's stress levels before pregnancy could influence risk of eczema in their future children - HealthCanal.com (press release) (blog)
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Home remedies to soothe your psoriasis – Bel Marra Health
Posted: at 5:47 am
Home Skin Health Home remedies to soothe your psoriasis
Psoriasis is a skin disorder that causes the epidermis to become covered in raised, red, itchy plaques that are spotted with white scales. It most commonly occurs on the knees, elbows, and scalp, but may also affect your torso, palms, and the soles of your feet. These plaques are sometimes itchy and painful, and may even crack and bleed, making the condition both uncomfortable and unsightly. While there are medications available to help soothe the symptoms of psoriasis, some may prefer a simpler home remedy. Continue reading to discover some of the most common and effective home remedies for treating psoriasis.
Heavy cream. Use a thick moisturizer or petroleum jelly to lock in moisture to the affected areas. Hydrating your skin with a heavy-duty salve can help relieve the itchiness associated with dry, scaly patches.
Apple cider vinegar. If your scalp is affected by psoriasis, you may be wary of slathering a cream over it for fear of making your hair limp and greasy. So long as the skin of your scalp is not bleeding or cracked, you can rub apple cider vinegar over it to soothe the itch. This is best done before a shower, as once the vinegar dries, you should rinse it out to avoid any further irritation.
Sun. The suns rays can actually help fight psoriasis, so head out into the sunshine for a few minutes daily and get your fill. Be sure to use sunscreen on the areas of your body not affected by the skin disorder to prevent sun damage that may lead to skin cancer.
Epsom salts. Sprinkle some Epsom salts into a warm bath and soak for about 15 minutes. The salts will help rid your body of the silvery scales and soothe any itching. Pat yourself dry after stepping out of the tub and be sure to moisturize in order to lock in all that moisture and keep your skin hydrated.
Oats. An oat bath is also a great way to soothe dry, itchy skin. Mix some ground-up oats into your warm bath water, then relax in the tub and let this natural remedy work its magic. Just as you would after an Epsom salt bath, ensure you moisturize afterward to seal in the hydration.
Meditation and yoga. Stress can exacerbate your condition, so partaking in activities like yoga and meditation to help manage it may also reduce your symptoms. This is especially true for those with psoriatic arthritis, as yoga can help alleviate your joint pain and reduce itchy flare ups.
Aloe Vera. Aloe Vera gel is a go-to to soothe sunburns, but its cooling and anti-inflammatory properties have also been found to ease the symptoms of psoriasis. The gel can help reduce redness and get rid of the irritating itch.
Psoriasis is an irritating condition that leaves your skin sore and itchy, and while there are some medications on the market to help treat it, there are also a few tried and true home remedies to ease your symptoms. Next time you experience a flare-up, try reaching for the apple cider vinegar or Epsom salts to rid yourself of the discomfort, and be sure to moisturize your skin daily.
Related: Psoriasis diet: What foods to eat and what foods to avoid?
Related Reading:
Psoriasis skin inflammation treatments improve heart disease symptoms: Study
Treating psoriasis reduces risk of other ailments: Study
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/psoriasis/ss/slideshow-home-remedies-for-psoriasis
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Nasal swab could help diagnose lung cancer – Medical News Today
Posted: at 5:47 am
In the case of patients with low risk of lung cancer, the current diagnostic procedure can sometimes be invasive and unnecessary. However, new research may have uncovered a less invasive, less costly way to screen these patients.
A team of researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) in Massachusetts may have found a more convenient way to determine whether lung lesions are malignant. The findings were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Lung lesions - or solitary pulmonary nodules - are small growths in the lungs that are usually detected incidentally when a patient has an X-ray for other reasons. Although physicians are typically worried about cancer upon discovering the lesions, these are benign in the majority of cases.
For instance, of all the patients screened using computed tomography (CT) as part of the National Lung Cancer Screening Trial, 25 percent had a lung lesion, but approximately 95 percent of these cases were, in the end, found to be benign.
As the authors of the new study point out, many of the patients who ultimately receive a benign diagnosis undergo invasive medical procedures such as surgical lung biopsy. The new research, however, uncovers a genomic tool that could enable physicians to tell whether a patient has a malignant lesion by simply taking a swab of their nose.
BUSM researchers collected nasal epithelial brushings from patients who were in the process of having their lung lesions evaluated. These participants were people who currently and formerly smoked, and who were enrolled in the two Airway Epithelium Gene Expression in the Diagnosis of Lung Cancer clinical trials.
The epithelium is a membrane of cellular tissue that, in this case, encloses and protects the nasal cavity. Scientists examined these nasal epithelial brushings and profiled the participants' gene expression by using microarrays - a genetic tool commonly used to detect gene mutations, such as in BRCA1 or BRCA2, in a person's DNA.
The researchers found cancer-associated gene expressions to be altered in a similar way across the two airway sites. This led them to believe that the nasal airway epithelial field in people who smoke extends all the way to the nose, and that the brushings could be a biomarker for lung cancer.
Marc Lenburg, Ph.D., a professor of medicine at BUSM and co-senior author of the study, explains the significance of the findings:
"Our findings clearly demonstrate the existence of a cancer-associated airway field of injury that also can be measured in nasal epithelium. We find that nasal gene expression contains information about the presence of cancer that is independent of standard clinical risk factors, suggesting that nasal epithelial gene expression might aid in lung cancer detection. Moreover, the nasal samples can be collected non-invasively with little instrumentation or advanced training."
Corresponding author Dr. Avrum Spira, a professor of medicine, pathology, and bioinformatics at BUSM, also weighs in:
"There is a clear and growing need to develop additional diagnostic approaches for evaluating pulmonary lesions to determine which patients should undergo CT surveillance or invasive biopsy," Dr. Spira says. The ability to test for molecular changes in this 'field of injury' allows us to rule out the disease earlier without invasive procedures."
This research builds on previous work by the same team, who located another biomarker for lung cancer, found in the epithelium of the bronchus.
"Our group previously derived and validated a bronchial epithelial gene-expression biomarker to detect lung cancer in current and former smokers," Dr. Spira explains. "This innovation [...] is measurably improving lung cancer diagnosis. Given that bronchial and nasal epithelial gene expressions are similarly altered by cigarette smoke exposure, we sought to determine in this study if cancer-associated gene expression might also be detectable in the more readily accessible nasal epithelium."
Learn how a colorful compound in fruits and vegetables could lower smokers' lung cancer risk.
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Medication improves obesity-associated gene expression in mice – Medical Xpress
Posted: at 5:47 am
February 27, 2017
Obesity often leads to insulin resistance, a hallmark of type 2 diabetes. The anti-diabetic drug rosiglitazone counters insulin resistance in diabetic patients by targeting PPAR, a nuclear receptor that senses hormones and other molecules to help regulate the expression of genes. Rosiglitazone's ability to reverse insulin resistance is not fully understood, but prior work has implicated its effects on fat cells as a key driver of therapeutic success.
Research led by Mitch Lazar at the Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania examined how rosiglitazone treatment altered gene expression in fat cells from an obesity-prone strain of mice (B6 mice) that were fed a high-fat diet.
In work published this week in the JCI, the researchers showed that although developing obesity was associated with marked changes in gene expression in the visceral fat of these mice, treatment with rosiglitazone had little effect on these changes.
Rather, the drug affected subcutaneous fat, specifically increasing the expression of genes associated with brown fat, a metabolically-active type of fat characterized by the key gene Ucp1.
An obesity-resistant strain, 129 mice, displayed elevated Ucp1 expression compared to B6 mice. A cross of B6 and 129 mice exhibited showed biased expression of Ucp1 genes derived from the 129 parent, indicating that Ucp1 may be defective in the obesity-prone B6 strain. In the B6/129 crossed mice, rosiglitazone eliminated this bias and restored expression levels of the B6 parent-derived Ucp1 gene.
These findings suggest that environmental changes, including drug therapies, may be able to reverse some genetic alterations that are associated with obesity.
Explore further: Anti-aging gene identified as a promising therapeutic target for older melanoma patients
More information: Raymond E. Soccio et al, Targeting PPAR in the epigenome rescues genetic metabolic defects in mice, Journal of Clinical Investigation (2017). DOI: 10.1172/JCI91211
Journal reference: Journal of Clinical Investigation
Provided by: JCI Journals
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Medication improves obesity-associated gene expression in mice - Medical Xpress
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Taking the gene test – Livemint
Posted: at 5:47 am
In 2012, Madurai-based Avinash Shetty, then 30, was busy making arrangements for his wedding. But festivities were not the only thing on his familys mind. With serious health scares on both sides, his fiance and he were aware they had the odds stacked against them in the genetic department. My mother-in-law had succumbed to leukaemia and my mother was suffering from lung carcinoma and diabetes. Plus, I was (and still am) a smoker, says Shetty. My mother, a nurse, insisted that my future bride and I get genetic testing done, he says. Blood and tissue samples were sent for testing. Fortunately, there was nothing amiss. The couple married and now have two daughters.
The 46 chromosomes or genetic material that we inherit from our parents are responsible for more than just shaping our physical characteristics. They can give us insight into the kind of diseases we could be exposed to. With a single blood test, doctors are now able to analyse our risk to disease at the DNA level and tell in advance the kind of illness you might possibly develop, says Mumbai-based Priyanka Raina, genetic counsellor at Positive Bioscience, a clinical genomics company, and consultant at Saifee Hospital.
The study of a persons DNA to identify various mutations is called genetic testing. Genomic medicine is the broad disciplinebasically medical care attuned to the bodys unique genetic make-up. So, when you get tested for disease based on your genetic coding, it is called genetic testing. The medical care that results is genomic medicine.
Advances in genomic medicine are the results of ground-breaking research. We expect it to transform the very fabric of healthcare, says Samarth Jain, founder and chief executive officer of Positive Bioscience, which offers genetic testing and evaluation of ones risk for disease.
Perhaps the most famous example of genetic diagnosis is Angelina Jolies preventive breast surgeries in 2013. A simple blood test showed the actor carried the BRCA1 gene, which meant she had an 87% risk of contracting breast cancer and a 50% risk of ovarian cancer. She knew she had a strong family risk for both diseases, since her mother and aunts had succumbed to them. Jolie removed her breasts, uterus and fallopian tubes in successive operations.
Shortly afterwards, there were reports of a steady rise in demand for pre-emptive surgeries by women. Doctors still advise caution, however; they say pre-emptive surgery necessitates a thorough assessment of risk factors, age and family history.
While pre-emptive surgery isnt the norm in India yet, there is a growing awareness about genetic diagnosis, especially in the area of cancer prediction and treatment, says Vikas Goswami, senior oncologist at the Fortis Hospital in Noida, near Delhi. But in many cases, even as were able to assess our risk to cancer, we wont always have the medicine to treat it. And that is a very real vulnerability.
To be able to diagnose whether we may be at risk of the disease is only part of the story. We need to be able to answer questions such as what the nature of this disease would be, what drugs would be effective, can we predict whether the cancer would spread or recur. We hope that genetic research can provide answers to these in the days ahead, says Dr Goswami.
In addition to cancer, genomic testing has opened up our world to many other diseases that could possibly be diagnosed or predicted, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, autism spectrum diseases and neurological disorders, says Radhika Vaishnav, a Vadodara-based genetic scientist and executive editor of the International Journal Of Molecular ImmunoOncology. Being able to treat previously untreatable conditions is becoming a reality today, she adds. However, though far more accessible (with costs half of what they were in 2011), genetic testing is still in its infancy in India. This is because genomic medicine relies on Big Data (comparing the genetic data of millions of people) for its accuracy in the prediction of disease. There are concerns that there is not enough Indian population-specific data to compare and accurately predict disease risk.
Prenatal care
Since the 1970s, blood tests have been conducted routinely during pregnancy in India to rule out genetic diseases such as Downs Syndrome. Today, were able to catch rare genetic disorders earlier, says Seema Thakur, senior consultant, genetics and foetal diagnosis, at the Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in New Delhi. Diseases like thalassemia (an inherited blood disorder requiring frequent blood transfusion), dwarfism and Gauchers (an inherited disorder in which the bodys ability to store fats is compromised, accumulating it in the bodys tissues, cells and organs) are now being identified early.
Great strides have also been made in the treatment of muscular dystrophy (MD), a genetic disorder which causes progressive muscular degeneration and weakness. Of the nine kinds of muscular dystrophy, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) the most common oneis manageable after prenatal genetic testing. DMD can begin as early as the age of 3. By the time a child reaches his/her teens, their muscles progressively waste away and they will find themselves in a wheelchair. By the age of 21, the disease can prove fatal, says Berty Ashley, senior research associate at the Dystrophy Annihilation Research Trust, a non-profit in Bengaluru. DMD occurs because a certain gene in our bodies (incidentally the largest gene we have) called the dystrophin gene is not copied in its entirety when it is passed on to the child in the womb. The gene is made of 79 exons, structures that fit like a jigsaw puzzle. When the gene is transferred to the child, any exon, for example, is missing or deleted, says Ashley.
In September, the US food and drug administration approved the use of new medication (dystrophy eteplirsen) for this. Taking this drug during pregnancy will introduce the missing genetic strand in the child. It wont cure the disease but it could effectively hamper its progression, says Ashley. A child will still have weak limbs, but he will be spared a life in a wheelchair or premature death.
Dr Thakur, however, believes that genetic testing without sustained counselling both before and afterwards could lead to greater stress for patients.
Genetic testing is extremely expensive (ranging from Rs12,000 to Rs1.5 lakh) and not all (diagnostic) labs offer standardized results. If you are faced with an incurable disease, there is little you can do. It could cause great anxiety, she says.
It is disturbing that people are requesting tests on their own because emotionally, they may not be equipped to handle the results. Adequate counselling and follow-up on treatment/medication are important, Dr Thakur explains, adding, There is no doubt that our knowledge of genetic diagnosis will bring with it greater responsibility.
Where to go
Places that provide prenatal diagnostic services and genetic diagnosis
The Indian Council of Medical Research in Mumbai provides prenatal diagnostic services (www.icmr.nic.in)
The genetics unit, department of paediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi (a World Health Organization collaborating centre) offers genetic diagnosis, prenatal diagnosis and counselling (www.aiims.edu)
Genetic blood tests and counselling are offered at hospitals across the country such as Apollo (Madurai, Chennai), Saifee (Mumbai), Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Breach Candy (Mumbai) and MedantaThe Medicity (Gurugram).
First Published: Mon, Feb 27 2017. 05 44 PM IST
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