Genetically Modified Goats

 We've all heard of genetically modified organisms, but, specifically, what about goats? These creatures are genetically modified in order to produce certain pharmaceuticals and materials in their milk. For example, BioSteel goats have been genetically modified to produce the protein from Golden Orb Weaver Spiderns , which means that the protein from the spider was taken and transferred to the goats genome. Thus. often, goats are also referred to as "biofactories." 

Source: https://www.postnatural.org/Biosteel-Goat#:~:text=BioSteel%E2%84%A2%20Goats%20have%20been,clavipes)%20silk%20in%20their%20milk.&text=It%20is%20one%20of%20several,other%20materials%20in%20their%20milk.

Is Glaucoma Genetic?

 

While many disagree, most scientists and doctors believe that the two biggest eye conditions, age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma have some correlation to genetics. Glaucoma is a disease that causes harm to the optic nerve and while there are many types of glaucoma, congenital glaucoma is caused by a mutation in two genes, CYP1B1 or LTBP2. Thus, mutations in these genes can lead to this condition being inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion, in which both parents would be carriers of the mutation but do not have glaucoma. While I do believe that this condition can be genetic, from the research I've done, I also firmly believe that this could be environmental as well. 

Sources: https://www.brightfocus.org/glaucoma/article/glaucoma-what-your-genetic-risk#:~:text=For%20example%2C%20we%20know%20that,but%20do%20not%20have%20glaucoma.

Gene Editing Treatment Shows Promise in Treating Sickle Cell Disease

 

    In recent first study testing, scientists are testing a one-time treatment which permanently alters DNA in blood cells which suggests a treatment and possible cure for sickle cell disease and beta thalassem (USNews, 2020). In this treatment, stem cells are removed from a patient's blood, and a tool called CRISPR aims to remove the switching gene that defects hemoglobin. Then, patients are given strong medicines to kill off other, flawed blood-producing cells, and the stem cells are given back (USNews, 2020). So far, the gene editing tests suggest it is working as there are desired, encouraging effects (USNews, 2020).

Sources:

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2020-12-05/gene-editing-treatment-shows-promise-for-sickle-cell-disease 

Genetics of the Frequency of Urination

 In this article, it was found that scientists have found the gene that is linked with when your body tells you you need to urinate. The gene is called PIEZO2 and has instructions for making proteins that are activated when cells are stretched or squeezed. It was discovered that patients who are born with a genetic deficiency in PIEZO2 have trouble sensing when their bladder is full. In 2015, researchers discovered people who were born with mutations in their PIEZO2 genes had no sense of movement, could not feel some types of touch and pain, and, most notably, they all had problems with urination. Tests on mice showed that the PIEZO2 gene was highly active in a few neurons that send nerve signals from the mouse bladder to the brain. Aided by an imaging system, they saw that the cells lit up with activity when a mouse's bladder filled. This discovery is very important and should be recognized as such. Knowing this information can help many people with disorders relating to urination.

Can you inherit intelligence?

 

believe it or not, there are people that believe that intelligence can be inherited, as to why they get bad grades they see this "inherited intelligence" as the answer, but is this really true? or is it just an excuse to not learn?. first, we need to know what intelligence is. intelligence is a concept created by man that is used to "measure" academic success, which is not the same as success in life. some consider that intelligence is what you learn in school, others that is what you learn outside and how you apply it to your life; and well it's actually a little bit of both. there are know multiple aspects of intelligence that are recognized, for example, emotional intelligence. it is also said that knowledge is useless if you don't know how to apply it. and this knowledge of application comes with experience. After we have seen how broad the concept of intelligence is, is it heritable? the answer is no. you can, under no circumstance, inherit experience, and as we saw, intelligence also requires experience. 

I am a total believer that you do not inherit intelligence, you either work to acquire the knowledge and experience on how to apply it, or you decide not to, no genes involved.

The Truth About Intelligence: Is It Genetically Inherited Or Earned? (elitedaily.com)

Is Intelligence Inheritable or Environmental | Actforlibraries.org

Penicillin Allergies Linked to a Specific Gene

 

    Recent studies have discovered that penicillin allergies may be linked to one gene in the immune system. The genetic link of this hypersensitivity can be found on an immune system gene that helps the body distinguish healthy cells and harmful bacteria and viruses. According to pharmacogenomics researcher Kristi Krebs, a hot spot for this gene is the HLA-B gene (ScienceNews, 2020). Several studies linked differences in HLA genes to bad reactions to specific drugs. For instance, studies have linked an HLA-B variant to adverse reactions to an HIV/AIDS medication called abacavir, and an HLA-B variant was linked to allergic reactions in gout medicine called allopurinol (ScienceNews, 2020). It is therefore suggested these HLA variants can predispose individuals to higher risk of allergic drug reactions, even in penicillin. A linkage of this gene was found on the locus of chromosome 6 on a variant called HLA-B*55:01 (ScienceNews, 2020). More research must be conducted in the future to better understand and predict penicillin allergies.

Sources:

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/penicillin-allergies-immune-system-genetics

Racial Inequality in COVID-19 Treatment

 In this article, it has been found that sickle cell disease put Black patients at a higher risk for the COVID-19 pandemic. It was discovered that it is 6.2% more likely for a Black patient with sickle cell anemia to die from COVID-19 than a Black patient without it, and it is 2.8 times more likely for a Black Person of Color to contract COVID-19 than it is for White patients. The study also showed that "Sickle cell patients also were more likely to develop pneumonia (31% versus 20%) and suffer pain (43% versus 13%)." This is an important study because it shows the racial inequality in the treatment of covid due to systemic racism that the government and healthcare systems abide by, by showing how Black patients are more likely to die from COVID than the White (privileged) population. It also shows how, genetically, People of Color are already at a disadvantage because of the higher risk of sickle cell anemia. The blatant racism and bigotry that runs in our country is not just a "political stance" and it never was, it costs people their lives and their freedoms. 

Your Genetics Can Cause You to Gain Weight

 

Studies have shown that genetics can cause you to be obese. Certain genes can cause you to be able to carry more fat cells. This means that you are more likely to gain fat and it makes the fat harder to lose. Studies have also shown that genetics are NOT the only factor in weight gain, but it has shown to be a big influence. I think that if your parents are more prone to weight gain and have more fat cells in their body then you would also be more likely to gain weight and hold on to fat.

https://babainvesting.com/sylvester-stallones-struggles/#:~:text=June%2020%2C%202020%20BabaInvesting.com%20Rags%20to%20Riches%201.,I%20personally%20remember%20getting%20frustrated%20with%20the%20process. 

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/heres-how-much-your-genes-impact-your-ability-to-lose-weight 

Genetically Modified Pigs

 

   

          Untied therapeutics corp. has recently gained approval from the FDA for a type of genetically modified pig. However the companies initial intentions are not to use this big for meat although that may happen in the future. The purpose of this pigs genetic modification is to remove alpha-gal sugar from the animal. This is because a lot of medications are made out of these animals and alpha-gal can sometimes result in an allergic reaction. So by removing this from the pigs, they can produce medications for people that suffer from this allergy. This is a very big find in the medical world, and a very big deal in terms of the FDA approving this. This could mean they are more open to future genetically modified animals for food and medical use. This will no doubt lead to very beneficial therapeutics for people who have an allergy to alpha-gal sugar, and potentially one day even have meat for people with allergens. (Choi, 2020)

Source: Choi, C. (2020, December 16). US regulators OK genetically modified pig for food, drugs. Medical Xpress - medical research advances and health news. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-12-genetically-pig-food-drugs.html 

Links used: 

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-12-genetically-pig-food-drugs.html

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-its-kind-intentional-genomic-alteration-line-domestic-pigs-both-human-food

A new book captures how genetics fills in the story of life’s evolution

 

Not many people have really explored how life became to start on land, this article explores that of which organisms started to come on land. When descendants of ancient fish started to come onto land they didn’t have any lungs. The study shows the gene in fish that need swim bladders which is the organ in a fish to help it control its buoyancy, are the same organ that lungfish and humans use to build lungs. Genetic mutations can trigger the production of new proteins, which can serve as a new function or perform the old function better in which will enhance the organism's survival. Mutations cause genes to be expressed or not, later in development in different places in the embryo. It can alter the form of the skulls,fins, limbs, and other anatomical body parts. These genes usually arise by duplication a process of making a gene that retains the original function but frees the other copy to change. This article was interesting because it's true that we don’t genuinely think of how we got to be on land and not in water. In which there are alot of theories about how we did end up on land, however the most prevalent one is us evolving from fish essentially.

Scientists raid DNA to explore Vikings’ genetic roots

 

Vikings were always known as warriors who plundered the coastline. However our culture portrays Vikings in movies are fictional. There was  DNA studies recently revealing the true genetic diversity of Vikings which the evidence suggested that they were a more powerful group of traders and explorers. The genetic data gathered from 442 humans whose remains were around 2400 B.C. to 1600 A.D buried in areas where Vikings were known to have been. Some places they were located at were Greenland and  Scandinavia with artifacts such coins, weapons, and entire boats. The DNA showed that they were a diverse group with ancestry from hunter, gathers, farmers, and populations from Eurasia. The analysis also showed that they didn’t interact as much within the Scandinavian region as much as they did outside. Which means they were more intimate with a broad range of people encountered in far travels. They found remains in Scotland with Vikings swords and equipment yet were not genetically connected to Scandinavia. What the DNA study does not resolve is the question of how the Viking phenomenon began. However with the confirmation of 442 Viking era humans that were genetically diverse, researchers can now search for Viking roots now. I think this article was very interesting because it shows in whole how human genetics can spread. As well as it spreads even after that era is done.  

Links:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/09/scientists-raid-viking-dna-explore-genetic-roots/ 

mRNA Vaccines for COVID-19

 

    COVID-19 has been rapidly taking away lives this year and scientists all over the world have been racing against the clock to find a vaccine to help people gain immunity to this deadly disease. Until recently, mRNA vaccines never made it to phase 3 of trials. Traditional vaccines used DNA and RNA wrapped in proteins as well a small piece of the virus itself so the body becomes immune. mRNA vaccines seem to worker better against traditional vaccines. In my opinion, I am interested to see if the mRNA vaccine will make it's way to people around the world. Although no vaccine is 100% immunity or safe I believe mRNA vaccines are our best shot in defeating COVID-19.

    

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/why-are-mrna-vaccines-so-exciting-2020121021599

https://www.phgfoundation.org/briefing/rna-vaccines

Genetic Factors Influence Takayasu Arteritis Disease

     In this article posted by Medical Xpress the genetic factors that impact one's risk for inflammatory disease were studied. Takayasu is a rare inflammatory disease in which the aorta and other large blood vessels and inhibits regular blood flow throughout the body. The cause of this disease was completely unknown until now; discrpancies in various regions of different genomes have been linked to different immune cells within this disease. The information about the disease that was found was similar to crohns disease. Approaches similar to the treatment of IBS are being used to remedy this disease. I found this arice to be very well written. I found it interesting to read about how the process of discovering new disease operates.

Court Orders FDA to Assess Environmental Impact of GM Salmon

I'm not a big fan of fish.

It's just not appetizing to me.

But I do like sushi, it's weird.

But this post isn't about my fish opinions, it's about salmon, the first genetically modified animal to be approved for human consumption in the US, although it's only been sold in limited quantities in Canada so far. These salmon, grown by a company called Aquabounty, are Atlantic salmon that have been injected with DNA from other fish species to make them grow faster. While the fish have been cleared for consumption, the environmental impact they can have is currently being discussed by the FDA after a judge's order. Despite the fact that the fish are supposed to all be sterile, there is a possibility they aren't and could get out into waters to breed with other salmon as production increases. It's nice to know the court is able to have the FDA more into this new process to make sure it keeps people and the environment safe. I probably won't be able to tell the difference, but I'm looking forward to safely eating salmon roll with genetically modified salmon.

Does Genetics Have an Influence on Our Actions?

    In this article posted by Genetic Literacy Project the topic of whether our genetics shape our actions was discussed. It was mentioned that mental-illnesses, vulnerability, longevity, and impulsive tendencies are some-what determined by genes. The ability to analyze a fetus's brain at 20 weeks while still in the womb was mentioned; susceptibilities for conditions such as ADHD, autism, bipolar disorder, depressive disorder, and schizophrenia could be found during this stage. Next, the topic of epigenetics was mentioned, in which the tags connected to genes are analyzed. These tags are placed upon genes and are passed onto offspring. An experiment was mentioned in which two groups of mice were exposed to the smell of cherries; however, in one group the mice were shocked when they smelt the cherries. This resulted in the offspring of the shocked mice being traumatized by the smell of cherries. It was mentioned that there has not been enough research done to relate the same trend occurs in humans. Although it has been found that descendants of US Civil War prisoners are more likely to die younger in life, and Holocaust survivors offsprings having a higher level of cortisol, which is the hormone involved in stress responses. I found this article to be very informative, and I enjoyed the researches that they shared. I agree with the information presented in this study since it was backed up with research. I hope more research is done surrounding the topic of epigenetics. I find epigenetics to be very interesting, as another it connects two of my favorite areas of science: psychology and biology.

Using History to Study Genetics

 

History and historical records can be used to learn about genetics. This lesson on genetics is brought to us by the Habsburgs, a royal dynasty that lasted from roughly 1450 to 1750. And what is this lesson you might ask. Why, incest and inbreeding coefficients, of course! To keep the “blood pure”, there was a lot of inbreeding amongst family members. The effects of this inbreeding are well documented, such as the “Habsburg Jaw”, where some of the descendants down the line (most notable King Charles II, King of Spain), had an enlarged lower jaw, which made it difficult to speak and eat. It also made King Charles II drool quite often. Another interesting piece of information is that looking at the family tree, King Charles II and Marie Antionette had such high inbreed coefficients, that their coefficients would have been lower if their lineage just had their parents as siblings! To put this into better terms, the Nature article states, “Marie Antione of Habsburg, daughter of Emperor Leopold I and his niece Margaret of Spain (sister of Charles II of Spain), had an inbreeding coefficient of 0.3053, which is higher than the inbreeding coefficient of the progeny of an incestuous union (parent-offspring or brother-sister)”. I enjoyed learning about this topic, and found it very interesting just how inbreed some of these people were. Though there are probably more important things to analyze history for this is, in my opinion, one of the more entertaining things to learn about.

The Genetics of Eye Color

 DNA provides the genes that are then used by cells to carry out daily functions and interact with the environment. They also coded for our genetic makeup. Scientists have discovered that at least eight different genes influence the color of a person's eyes. Eye color its determined by the amount of light that reflects off of the iris. The iris is a muscular structure that controls how much light enters the eye. Whether a person's eyes are blue, brown, green, hazel, or you name it, it is passed down through generations of genetic traits. Your parents' genetic makeup determines the amount of pigment in the iris of your eye. All eye colors begin with brown. It is how much brown is in the eye that determines the color and can make it look blue or green. Eye color can try to be predicted, but genetic factors may alter the outcome. Two blue eyed parents could still have a brown eyed child. The vast majority of people in the world have brown eyes. 

https://www.lunadna.com/blog/is-eye-color-genetic/

https://hudsonalpha.org/the-genetics-of-eye-color/

How much information is in our DNA?

How much information could possibly be in our DNA. Science is such an amazing creation that surprises us everyday. it it said that every little bit of our makeup is written in our DNA. This information includes, personality traits, physical body traits, and many many more. It is said that our DNA is capable of storing 215 petabytes in just one single gram of DNA.  This is a crazy about of room to store our genes. Whats even more crazier is that our DNA is made up as we a little baby before we are even born. It is made up from the genes coming from a person's parents. People really do underestimate the strength our DNA has and what it can hold.

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/03/dna-could-store-all-worlds-data-one-room

https://bitesizebio.com/8378/how-much-information-is-stored-in-the-human-genome/

Gene therapy injected in one eye can travel to the other eye

 Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy, which usually affects young men and leads to progressive sight loss. It is caused by a mutation in one of the genes inside mitochondria, the energy-producing structures inside cells. This kills off cells of the retina, the patch of tissue at the back of the eye that turns light into electrical signals. The gene therapy involves injecting a harmless virus containing the gene into the eye, where it is taken up by retinal cells. These start making the protein encoded by this gene, which passes into their mitochondria and helps preserve their remaining retina. A recent trial was deemed unsuccessful because the virus can just leave the eye. It is said that the way the virus travels is through the optic nerve and eventually transports to the other optic nerve where both optic nerves meet.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2262327-gene-therapy-injected-in-one-eye-can-travel-to-the-other-eye/

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03476-x

Yep, Your Parents Can Pass Down Stress

 

    We're all stressed, right?

Having to deal with a 2020 school year doesn't make it any easier.

We can however learn about one of the many reasons we feel so stressed.

OUR PARENTS.

    No, not because they keep trying to talk to us while we're in class, it's because there is a genetic component of stress that parents can pass down. According to a study conducted in 2013, chronic stress can lead to a fight or flight response in the body. This causes an increase in the expression of genes that lead to inflammation which is not good. It increases the risk of health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. These changes in your DNA can cause genes to become silenced by methylation which is a process that puts a methyl group on DNA to keep it from working. It then gets passed down, silenced, to the next generation. But don't stress too much about stress because there are many ways to reduce it. Meditation, listening to music, and exercise are just three things you can add to your daily routine to help yourself out a bit. With the pandemic and academic stress, we all need to take the time to chill. So brew some tea, not coffee, put on some music, and be a couch potato for a few minutes a day.

Is Blood Type Determined by Genetics?

 

Many things are determined by genetics. Genetics has a big toll on a person's makeup. Just like eye or hair color, our blood type is inherited from our parents. These articles gave a straight forward answer to our main question, "Is blood type determined by genetics?". Yes! Genetics has complete control over what blood type your offspring will have. Each biological parent donates one of the two ABO genes to the child. When that happens, the O is recessive and A or B are dominant. This all would be decided from the parents of the offspring. 

https://www.bswhealth.com/patient-tools/blood-center/blood-type-genetics-and-compatibility#:~:text=Just%20like%20eye%20or%20hair,blood%20type%20will%20be%20A.

https://genetics.thetech.org/ask-a-geneticist/parent-children-different-blood-type

A new biomarker for cancer and other illnesses

 

    Bluestar Genomics and University of Chicago have recently published a genome 5hmC map for multiple human tissues. The research showed 5hmC being used as a phenomenal biomarker for cancer and other illnesses. This is a very big deal in the medical community because it provides a new was to diagnose not only cancer but other human illnesses. This is extremely important and helpful in cancer however because it can help doctors catch cancer early and provide treatments earlier to further help their patients. Overall this is big for the genetic community as well as the medical community. Their overall goal is to develop a cancer screening test using 5hmC. This would be huge. (staff, 2020)

Source: staff, S. X. (2020, December 3). Researchers publish whole genome map of key biomarker for detecting cancer. Medical Xpress - medical research advances and health news. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-12-publish-genome-key-biomarker-cancer.html 

Links used: 

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-12-publish-genome-key-biomarker-cancer.html

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-20001-w

The "Hidden" Gene in COVID-19

 In an article from SciTechDaily the author discusses a new gene that was recently discovered in COVID-19. A research team identified the gene ORF3d, which is an overlapping gene in SARS-Cov-2. This gene can encode a protein that's longer than expected due to chance, this gene was also in the pangolin coronavirus. This can help explain the repeated loss and gain of the gene during SARS-CoV-2's evolution. This gene also shows a strong antibody response to COVID-19 patients, this shows that the protein made by this new gene is manufactured during human infection. I think it's interesting how researchers can identify these genes. I also think these discovering these new genes will be important in coming up with more ways to combat this virus.

CRISPIR and Blood Disorders

In an article written by Jocelyn Kaiser, she discusses the impact of CRISPIR on blood disorders, mainly sickle cell anemia and beta-thalassemia. People with sickle cell anemia are born with mutations in a gene for hemoglobin and people with beta-thalassemia make almost no hemoglobin also due to mutations.  In new treatments, researchers have tweaked the genes to allow hemoglobin production. They disable a genetic switch that turns off a fetal form of hemoglobin. This fetal hemoglobin is enough to to replace the missing hemoglobin from sickle cell and beta-thalassemia. I think this is interesting because people can actually cure diseases using these new techniques. I also think this type of  treatment will become more common in the future.

Variants in LRRC34 reveal distinct mechanisms for predisposition to papillary thyroid carcinoma

This article is about thyroid cancer. Thyroid cancer is the most common malignancy of the endocrine system. This is the 12 common cancer in the Unites States and about 52,070 people were reported in the year of 2019 with illness. This article also talks about different types of thyroid cancer. For instance Non-medullary thyroid cancer (NMTC) comprises the vast majority of thyroid cancer that arises from thyroid cells of follicular. Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) demonstrates high heritability and a low somatic mutation burden relative to other cancers. Therefore, the genetic risk predisposing to PTC is likely our to a combination of low penetrance variants. The study demonstrates two separate mechanisms, one in G protein signaling and the other in transcriptional control, dictating PTC risk at 3q26 using the biochemical and genetic techniques. 

https://jmg.bmj.com/content/jmedgenet/57/8/519.full.pdf

https://europepmc.org/article/med/32051256

What are Some Genetic Disorders?

The first kind of genetic disorder is the single gene disorder. This is where a mutation affects only one gene. The next kind of disorder is chromosomal disorders, where chromosomes, or parts of chromosomes, are missing or changed in any way. The final kind of genetic disorder is a complex disorder. This is where there is a mutation in two or more genes.  There are a whole bunch of diseases that stem from these disorders. An example of a common single gene disorder is sickle cell anemia. An example of a chromosomal disorder is Down syndrome, and for a complex disorder, colon cancer. You can inherit these gene disorders from one or even both parents. However, you can also develop them in your lifetime, and that could also be hereditary or not. Genetic tests of blood or other tissue can help identify these genetic disorders. 

https://medlineplus.gov/geneticdisorders.html

https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/10q26-deletion-syndrome/

Telomeres and Biological Immortality

 Lobsters are remarkable creatures, both in taste, and in the fact that they cannot die to old age; lobsters are biologically immortal. In order to understand why the lobster is biologically immortal, it would be important to first understand what biological immortality means. Biological immortality is not the same as regular immortality; the organism can still die. Biological immortality simply means that the organism will not die due to old age, and this can be through several different processes. The main process I will be focusing on in this post is with regards to telomeres through the lens of lobsters. The lobster’s biological immortality is due to their ability to produce telomerase in each cell type, so that DNA does not degrade due to their telomeres becoming too small/running out. Telomeres are small regions at the ends of DNA sequences, that act as a sort of buffer, so that none of the important DNA gets lost due to cell division. Little bits of the telomeres are lost each time a cell divides, and so the cell “ages” with each subsequent division. This “aging” of cells is true for most human cells, and they will eventually die because their telomere caps run out, which leads to the degradation of the vital DNA. Though this is the fate of most cells, there are certain cells that have telomerase, which lengthens the telomere caps. Since practically all cell types in lobsters have telomerase, there is essentially no cell “aging” due to division, making it impossible for them to die of old age. What particularly interests me about this topic is the commercial viability of telomerase treatments in humans. What if we were able to stop the biological clocks, and live longer lives? This, of course, brings with it two very important draw backs. First, is this ethical? Should humans “play God” when it comes to our biology? Another question is if people are living longer, how are we going to feed a population that would grow rather rapidly due to there being less deaths? 

Vaccine conspiracy

 

With Covid-19 a lot of problems affected our daily life and society, and with those same problems, a lot of paranoia also came along. We experienced empty markets and a lot of misconceptions, but the worst came after. For reasons I cannot comprehend people started sharing this "idea" that the Covid-19 vaccine's true purpose was to "alter" our DNA. The truth is that, as we know, vaccination consists of stimulating our immune system by injecting an infectious agent or a component of one that has been modified so that no harm will happen to the person receiving the vaccine. DNA vaccines inject the plasmid that contains the DNA sequences that include the antigen or antigens to which we seek a response. This method comes with some advantages like improved vaccine stability and the absence of any infectious agent, although this is still a method that is rapidly developing. The thing is that DNA vaccines don't introduce any DNA into our cells' nucleus, so our own DNA remains unaffected. In the end, the claim that the vaccine for Covid-19 will affect our DNA is just a claim against a developing vaccination technique that, as we said earlier, doesn't harm or "alters" us in any manner. 

DNA (who.int)

False claim: A COVID-19 vaccine will genetically modify humans | Reuters

Reprogramming in Mice

 

     Reprogramming is the process of taking old cells and reverting them to young stem cells. It essentially erases and reorder specific genes and DNA methylation in cells to develop differently. The term ageing clocks refers to DNA methylation patterns creating a cycle where cells develop and mature over time. In a study done by Yuancheng Lu, Benedikt Brommer, Xiao Tian, and more, mice with damaged retinal nerves and old mice with poor vision were given their vision back via drugs and injections. In this experiment, researchers injected the mice to genetically modify four of their specific genes to rapidly age them so they could switch them on and off. Switching the genes on and off was one way the team hoped to revert cells back into their earlier stages without changing anything major. However, after the constant switching on and off it was learned that future tumors could develop. Therefore, Yuancheng Lu spiked the mice’s water with drugs in hopes to safely modify their genes by turning them on, without the drugs the genes would turn off. In my opinion,  reprogramming can help cells stay young and healthy therefore expanding an organism’s lifespan. If these studies done on mice prove to be mostly successful, then one day it could be tested on humans. 

        https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03403-0

       https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2975-4#article-info

Variability with polygenic risk scores

 `                                    

    With increased popularity in companies such as 23andme and the ability to assess a person's DNA for a "polygenic risk scores", preventative health decisions are becoming more and more popular. The polygenic risk score is basically an overall assessment of an individuals DNA using a small piece of DNA from saliva and generate an estimation based on large-scale genomic studies. While a large majority of the consumers can be accurately assessed for risk, other users may find themselves in the wrong category. This has lead to a study to be conducted, in which coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, glaucoma, and breast cancer, were used in order to calculate risk scores. The data had shown that regardless of what control is used for the risk factor, due to the scale of population-level genetics, there is always introduced variability. In order to reduce this randomness the researchers had to run the tool multiple times to eliminate the random elements and create an average to assist in a computational process that strives for accuracy. 
    Based on the information provided by the article, it has created a sense of yes and no debate with regards to these polygenic tests. Essentially the information is saying that the more they sequence the snippet of DNA the more the results are accurate. The question is how many times are these companies actually doing these sequences as well as how radical are these overall results? Of course this research is evidentially useful to those who are prone to these risks, but if the inaccuracies are substantial in certain groups is the information really that useful on a global scale? It is all interesting regardless, just more curious in terms of information that is actually gathered by these tests versus what is generally assumed by the test itself based on these population level pools.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-12-highlights-strategies-boosting-accuracy-personal.html

https://genomemedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13073-020-00801-x

Is Anxiety and Depression genetic?

 Anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders are becoming more and more present in the public consciousness, many people suffer from them.  While these disorders may have many situational or environmental causes, but with so many people battling these mental disorders, could it be genetic?  Major depressive disorder (MDD) and neuroticism traits have some genetic susceptibilities. Studies have shown some correlation between polymorphism in the serotonin transporting region (5HTTLPR) and bipolar disorder, suicidal behaviors, and depression-related traits, but nothing yet to show it is responsible for MDD. 

Mental disorders are incredibly complex and multifaceted, so there is no exact answer to whether these disorders are inherited.  However, studies show that there could possibly be genetic factors involved.  Seratonin transmitter mutations have been linked to Bipolar and other similar disorders.  There is still a lot of research that needs to be conducted to determine the exact gene sequences or mutations responsible. 

Links:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006322305010139?casa_token=d7j9zXyl1acAAAAA:Z2MhTYwifuZmhDP-OKs7HPvQGu-XmAUng7keAZL41r7h0hHe41RK5vZ1u-voVP6v_FIEY-QJ2Kk

https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/genetic 

The Genetic Links to Autism

 

    Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurological disorder that affects everyone who has it very differently. With such a broad range of characteristics and symptoms, it has been very difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of it, and there seem to be not only physiological but environmental factors that play a role as well. In a recent study lead by the director of Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Joseph Buxbaum, 102 genes were found to have a link to ASD which included 30 genes that had no previous correlation. The study also found that some of the genes were also linked to other neurodevelopmental disorders as well.

    By being able to look at such a large sample size of DNA from people who have autism and close relatives, it was easier to identify genes that are directly linked to the disorder. Though there is still so much to learn about this disorder and genetics alone may not be the only answer, studies like these that look at such a large amount of people are incredibly helpful and will help put together the much larger picture.

Additional Links

https://www.appliedbehavioranalysisedu.org/is-autism-genetic/

Growth Spurt for Height Genetics

Height variation is genetic but the genes responsible have eluded scientists. In Europe a study including 4 million people they found around 10 thousand DNA markers that appear to influence common genetic variants over height. Further research on this can help gain access to new biology and personalized medicine. These markers only had little to do with height variation and disease, but variants total are about 40% to 50% of total height. The more DNA they have, the easier it will be to understand, but it makes it harder since these specific genes are spread out through the DNA strand. 

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/370/6517/645.full

https://www.newindianexpress.com/specials/2020/dec/04/how-tall-are-people-around-the-world-heres-what-we-know-2231753.html

Are you Intelligent because of your Genetics?

 

    In short, yes! Scientists have done studies that have compared twins and adopted children with their families IQ. They tested to see if there was any correlation. There was some relationship between families IQ and their children's, however it was not strong enough evidence to point at one gene or another. Scientists concluded that many genes probably code for intelligence with also strong environmental factors. I think that intelligence is more environmental than genetic. I think that if anybody works hard enough at something that they can succeed as much as anybody else. Maybe it would be more difficult if they lack a natural ability, but I do not think that bad genetics make you unintelligent.

https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/traits/intelligence/ 

https://www.human-intelligence.org/intelligence-is-genetic/ 

Sickle Cell Patients Are More Protected Against Malaria

 Sickle cell is a disease that causes hemoglobin, the oxygen carrying red blood cell, to form an abnormal shape that prevents oxygen from traveling throughout the blood stream as well as carrying oxygen to different parts of the bodies. Researchers have wondered how this autosomal recessive disease continued to affect people as they evolve rather than be removed via natural selection. This is because sickle cell patients are less affected by malaria. Evidence shows that majority of sickle cell patients live in areas where malaria is most common. They discovered that sickle cell patients are constantly breaking down red blood cells so when the parasite attacks the host, in a way, the mosquitoes are attacking a hostile environment. The environment is considered hostile because, the host is already dealing with the "mess" of the abnormal red bloods cells and will do the same with the parasite. Although the parasite attacks, it    does not live very long regardless of the hostile environment because the sickle shape causes loss of nutrients which helps the parasite infect the host. 

Is Anxiety Caused by Genetics?

     The answer to this question is not as clear cut as it would seem. Is anxiety genetically caused or environmentally caused? The answer to this is both. A person's upbringing, environment, and individual experiences can all be factors. However, for some people, it is genuinely a chemical imbalance in their brain that they have no control over. Everyone gets anxious and has anxiety over certain things. How severe it is varies from person to person. Some people are more genetically prone to worse anxiety. Similarly, some people's upbringing makes them more prone to anxiety. Or their environment, or their job,  or anything really. Your genes produce proteins which overall decide how your body functions. Tiny differences in your genes, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) affect the hormones and enzymes responsible for your psychological responses. Certain genes show an elevated response to stressful events which is what makes some people more sensitive than others. There are many ways to manage stress and anxiety however. Some people can overcome it by themselves, while others may need medication or therapy. 

https://www.dnafit.com/advice/stress-management/are-you-genetically-prone-to-stress-and-anxiety.asp

https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/is-anxiety-genetic

The Gene That May Have Made COVID-19 More Contagious

 

    With over a year since the rise of COVID-19, which has changed almost everyone's lives, there has been a constant effort by people all over the world to research and find a way to get ahead of this virus. In this article on The Scientist written by Abby Olena, there is a discussion about a specific mutation that has arisen within the virus and how it may be giving it higher transmissibility.

   The 614g variant is being researched and though it has not been definitively confirmed, there appears to be a relationship between the mutation and the virus's ability to spread more efficiently. While looking at many cases of the virus in the UK and also looking at animal testing, patterns were observed. When someone was infected with the virus that contained this mutation, they also typically had significantly more viral particles found in their respiratory tract. With more of the viral particles found in the respiratory tract, there would be a greater probability of spreading the virus to another person, giving it a new advantage. Though, reading articles like this one can be quite discouraging, the research that has been and that is still being done to understand the virus is crucial. Any and everything that we can learn about COVID-19 and how it functions gets us closer and closer to a solution.

Additional Links

 https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20201113/study-new-coronavirus-mutation-accelerates-spread

Animals infected with Covid-19

There is more concern now due to the effects that coronavirus has on animals and the way humans can contract it. The issue is that scientists do not know what it could do to the human population, with it being more transmittable and varying in the strand from humans. I believe that even though, as of right now, there are only a few animals such as cats, dogs, and minks are known to carry coronavirus that any animal can. Though scientists are focused on making a cure for humans, what about the animals that can also transmit it? I believe that if there is a way to cure animals of their variation of the disease, it could help create other forms of vaccinations in case someone doesn't react to the common antibody lab test.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/08/science/Covid-virus-transmission-mink.html

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/367/6485/1444

Sickle Cell Disease gene therapy

 

In this article I came across, the main topic discussed was Sickle Cell Disease. Sickle Cell is caused by a genetic defect that causes normally pliable red blood cells to become hard and sticky, this causes it to form a C-shape, like a sickle. It is an inherited red blood cell disorder, in which there isnt enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen. The abnormal blood cells often die early, causing anemia and clots in small blood vessels. The clots have the possibility of triggering a wide range of painful and life-threatening complications. In order to have this disease, it must be inherited from the parents. The article mentions how researchers are mentioning gene therapy treatments for Sickle cell, a pair of new gene therapies promise a potential lasting cure by subtly altering the genetic information in a patient's bone marrow cells. I think that having a possible long-lasting cure is a huge step in the right direction, although not everyone develops symptoms, this will be helping those who suffer from periodic episodes of pain, swelling, and frequent infections. 

https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2020-12-05/could-gene-therapy-cure-sickle-cell-disease-two-new-studies-raise-hopes

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/facts.html

Intellectual Disability caused by Genetics

 

The article I came across talks about intellectual disabilities. This occurs when a person has diffiucalty with mental abilities, because of genetic abnormalities. These diseases can affect their intellectual functioning- such as learning, judgment, and problem-solving abilities, practical functioning- the ability to function independently, and social functioning- the ability to function normally in society. These conditions develop often due to injury, disease, or brain conditions, usually before the age of 18. Most causes of intellectual disability include genetic conditions such as down syndrome, phenylketonuria, or fragile X syndrome. Symptoms include taking longer to learn and develop intellectually than most. I think knowing how certain diseases may affect the brain is interesting to read about. I also believe it's helpful for parents to know what symptoms and signs to look out for. 

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/intellectual-disability#diagnosis

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/developmentaldisabilities/facts-about-intellectual-disability.html

Promising treatment for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia

All over the world, people are affected, and doctors hope one treatment that promises to alter the DNA in blood cells can be the tool to help cure sickle cell diseases and beta-thalassemia. In addition to the alternation of the blood cells, they need the help of CRISPR. I believe it can help because with both sickle cell and beta-thalassemia, they have issues within the body that can be fixed by the treatment. With sickle cell, many have blood that clots up and causes a lack of blood flow and oxygen to the body. While beta-thalassemia has no normal hemoglobin, which causes suffering of breathing issues making the patients get transfusions every so often to help them. I believe if they find a way to have CRISPR and blood cells mixed correctly, it can help many people get better and have less pain.

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/gene-editing-treatment-shows-promise-sickle-cell-disease-74558189

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sickle-cell-anemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355876#:~:text=Sickle%20cell%20anemia%20is%20an,like%20sickles%20or%20crescent%20moons.

https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/beta-thalassemia/#:~:text=Beta%20thalassemia%20is%20a%20blood,many%20parts%20of%20the%20body.

Wooly Mammoth mutations found could lead to resurrection

 

Unlike modern elephants, wooly mammoths were designed for the cold.  They had hairy coats, layers of fat, and small ears to minimize heat loss.   With samples from remaining mammoth specimens and modern elephants, scientists have been able to find the genetic mutations that result in these traits.   With these findings, geneticists believe that they could engineer an elephant that could survive extremely cold temperatures.   

George Church, a geneticist at Harvard Medical School is already working on "resurrecting" the mammoth so to speak.  Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology genes are able to be edited easily.  He has identified 14 genes that may be correlated to cold tolerance.  This may be the beginning of bringing back the wooly mammoth or modifying Asian elephants to have mammoth qualities.   An actual mammoth-like elephant roaming the arctic is years away, but the genome research is incredibly interesting. 

Links: 

https://www.nature.com/news/mammoth-genomes-provide-recipe-for-creating-arctic-elephants-1.17462 

https://www.history.com/news/wooly-mammoth-resurrection-cloning-genesis

Is Anxiety Caused by Genetics?

     Anxiety is one thing that many, many humans have dealt, or will have to deal with sometime in their life time. In simple terms, it can be defined as one who has an intense fear about every little thing going on around them, causing many symptoms such as fatigue, elevated blood pressure, stress, sweats, and many more. Many things can cause this such as family stress, school, work, relationship issues, personal issues, etc. But, why does this happen more often in some families, and not others at times? Anxiety very may well be passed down from generation to generation. One study showed that the gene, RBFOX1, raises the chances for one to acquire anxiety feelings. Of course, we know that an external factor could very well cause it, such as a sudden death of a loved one. That would obviously cause one to feel anxiety and depression, whether the gene is in their DNA or not. For people who suffer from anxiety, they may seek care such as therapy to relieve the episodes. Even though one may naturally have anxiety, at least there can be some sorts of treatment/management to heal the person.

https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/is-anxiety-genetic#symptoms

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-019-0559-1