DNA Used to Personalize Diets

     The days of a one size diet are coming to an end.  Everyone has heard of all the fad diets such as the South Beach and Atkin diets.  Previous results not only depended on discipline and dedication, but also a person's genetic makeup. Current research has developed DNA based counseling to see where a person's diet can be improved.  The researchers found that people who received DNA based diet counseling greatly improved their dietary results over a 3 to 12 month period.

     University of Stanford is currently holding research for these type of diets based on personal DNA evaluation.  People are broken up into either very low fat or very low carbohydrate diets. The study will make available a strong support and guidance program by a team of qualified health care professionals.  High nutritional values will be strongly be emphasized according to the research.  The goal is to find a connection between the proper diet matching certain genes.  In the future we may have our nutritional needs mapped out at an early age to avoid obesity all together.



http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/626446/?sc=rsmn
http://nutrition.stanford.edu/projects/DietbyGenotype-Study.html

Kids who don't cry

Is there honestly such thing as a little kid who doesn't cry? The Human Genome Project has begun to identify new genetic mutations, and it is getting very easy and cheap. When identifying a new genetic disorder, studying multiple patients with the same gene mutations is necessary. When new genetic mutations are discovered they are usually found by accident, usually when a mystery illness is being researched. This happened in a specific case dealing with a little girl named Grace.....

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/20/health/ngly1-genetic-disorder/ 

... where a family was dealing with a problem with their daughter. They weren't sure what was going on with their girl, as she was dealing with strange symptoms for some time. She was refusing to eat, eyes were hollowed, and just wasn't acting herself. 

This family, was distraught when their baby girl was acting strange day in and day out and they wouldn't rest until they found an answer. They brought her to a doctor and the testing began. They really had no idea what was wrong with her from the start, until a little research was done. They looked into Grace's genes and realized that Grace's mutations of the NGLY1 gene were the destructive kind. The doctor wasn't sure what to think so he searched other work done with this gene and possible problems. The search was really going no where until the doctor found a case very similar to Grace's. The work done hadn't been exactly finished due to this research group had no other work to compare theirs too. So, naturally when Grace's case arose, the connection between the two lit the way. The biggest connection, at first, between the two cases was that both children had the inability to cry. When the doctors figured out the connection between the two it was a "Eureka" moment. The mutation of this gene was then able to be connected to 12 other cases and the mutation is now being researched further.

Bioengineers bright light to gene circuits

Using the same techniques as an electric engineer would use for electric circuits, bioengineers created something similar when working with genes. In the article, Jeffrey Tabor, Evan Olson and their colleagues from Rice University have engineered a new way of making and calculating gene expression signals in bacteria. The way it works is this: they use LED lights with light sensitive proteins from photosynthetic algae and put it together with bright reporter genes, with this they can take charge of the quantity and the timing of the different genes that are expressed by how bright and long the lights last. Tabor, quoted by the author, then explains how they were inspired by the electrical engineers with their tools on measuring the voltage on electrical circuits, so they thought why not use the same process for genetics? The correlation between genetic and electric circuits are how information passes through these circuits making them process and react on what is provided. In genes, these circuits can make an expression be shown or not shown by the control of DNA segments. Tabor's study consisted of 4,000 bacterial genes and even though humans have 20,000, they were still able to create genetic circuits that could produce complicated activities like counting, memory, growing tissues, and diagnosing signs of disease within the body.

Previously, Tabor and his colleagues would make gene circuits that would permit the bacteria to change their color based on approaching light. Recently, the team recognized how the light could signal when gene expressions would go up and down like in electrical circuits. Olson compares the tools they use to a generator and an oscilloscope in electrical engineering. A generator shoots a signal to the circuit that is being portrayed then the oscilloscope helps engineers see circuit output. In Tabor and Olson's study, the light up reporter genes are their oscilloscope and their invention, the "light tube array," acted as their generator. The light tube array is just an eight by eight pack of lights that fit under test tubes. It has been said by Olson that there is a seven minute delay between the gene expression going in and out of the gene circuit. But they have discovered that they can design the circuit to perform certain instructions. All in all, their research and creation has led to some of the cleanest data in biology yet.

- - - - - - - - - -

In my opinion, the article was only slightly interesting. Engineering in general to me is fairly intriguing but I felt this article was repetitious when describing genetic and electrical circuits. But it was really cool to learn about how bioengineering is progressing in the genetic field, especially since collecting data in genetics is very tedious. This new invention/discovery could pose extremely useful in learning human genetics and figuring out the codes of different genetic diseases or possibly understanding where they came from. In essence, this article and study brings new light to the genetics and bioengineering world and should offer more questions and answers to the genetic society.

Link to the article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140310111710.htm

Link to related research on genetic circuits: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/342/6163/1193.full

23andMe to Only Provide Ancestry, Raw Genetics Data During FDA Review

23andMe is a genetic testing company of growing popularity that, for a fee, allows users to get their genes tested and analyzed. Through this process, a person could get a look into over 200diseases and conditions, heritage, and more and compare their results to others. The information gained would be used for education and further research. Recently, however, the Food and Drug Administration has made the company stop analyzing the genes while they review the company. The FDA claimed that 23andMe was not approved by the government to release information regarding diseases. Fear over consumers using the information to make life changing and drastic choices is the FDA's primary concern and that consumers would be more likely to take matters into their own hands rather than consult a professional. Another fear was that 23andMe would sell the data gained from consumers to other organizations, though the company has firmly said they would not share information without user consent.

The idea that 23andMe has been restricted in sharing the knowledge which seems to rightfully belong to the consumer seems strange. While it may make a person take unnecessary precautions it could also help a person make a life saving decision. Not to mention it is a portal for education. 23andMe claims that if approved by the FDA, they will go back to giving out health related information based on gene analysis and those who purchase their gene kit and do not get have health results will get them.

Article: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/23andme-to-still-provide-ancestry-raw-genetics-data-during-fda-review/
23andme Official notice: https://www.23andme.com/ancestry-only-notice/

Genes implicated in Alzheimers disease

Through recent scientific study, it has been found that roughly 20 different genes can affect a person's chance of developing late-onset Alzheimer's; this value is more than twice what scientists had previously thought. Alzheimer's is a neurodegenerative disorder which effects hundreds of thousands of people is is the most common form of dementia. Through a study of over 70,000 individuals, with a number of control and affected individuals, the researchers found specific DNA areas which were more common in the effected individuals. The gene APOE4 is  gene that has already been linked to late-onset Alzheimer's but about 11 other regions had been discovered that were previously unknown in the recent study.

The data on Alzheimer's shows that it is driven by changes in the brain in how neurons talk to each other, how proteins are handled in the brain, and a mixture of changes in the immune system and inflammatory responses. The biggest result from the study is the identification of a gene which is often present in individuals with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and multiple sclerosis. If a preventative treatment is developed this gene could be incredibly useful by identifying individuals who would be more prone to the disease and they could be treated early on in life as a preventative measure.

Article:      http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/oct/27/alzheimers-study-new-genes-implicated

Sub-Article:      http://www.news-medical.net/news/20131022/Buck-Institute-finds-link-between-ApoE4-and-anti-aging-protein-targeted-by-resveratrol-in-red-wine.aspx

New Biomarker may assist in Melanoma research

Melanoma is a form of skin cancer of which there is various different types, but it has been found that close to 50% of all melanomas have a mutations in the BRAF gene. With this fact in mind, most of the pharmaceuticals aimed at treating melanomas target the BRAF gene. Unfortunately, it has been found that not all patients with this BRAF gene mutation can be treated by these pharmaceuticals and in other cases, many of the individuals who are treated often relapse because the cancer becomes resistant to the drugs effects. Dr. Ryan Corcoran, a clinical investigator and assistant professor at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Hardvard Medical School says: "Our study has identified decreased phosphorylation of the protein S6 after treatment with BRAF- targeted drugs as a functional bio-marker that predicts sensitivity of BRAF-mutant melanomas to these drugs".



In the study, researchers used the BRAF targeting drug and observed its effects on BRAF mutant melanoma cells that were responsive and resistant to the targeting drug. The study concluded that in the cells responsive to the treatment, they displayed lower S6 phosphorylation and the cells showed a nearly five fold improvement in progression free survival. The final consensus of the study concluded that, "The tests showed that a decrease in S6 phosphorylation after treatment correlated with treatment response". With this new information, researchers are looking to see if this biomarker system is used in other cells and can be used to show if a treatment is working or not in other cancers.

Article:     http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/267784.php

Sub-article:           http://www.cancer.org/cancer/skincancer-melanoma/detailedguide/melanoma-skin-cancer-treating-targeted-therapy

A genetic test that helps determine the severity of Scoliosis in Children

Every year students below college level are screened by the school nurse and staff to make sure the students are healthy and to check for any abnormalities. One of the tests the nurses do is check for scoliosis, which is a condition in which the spine curves to the left or right. With pronounced scoliosis, an individual can experience problems such as one shoulder or hip higher than the other, an uneven waist, different arm and leg lengths, and more. Over time Scoliosis often tends to get worse with time and often becomes painful and debilitating. Currently the only way to combat this disease in children is to fit them with a brace that they wear nearly all day every day in an effort to keep the spine from curving any further and hopefully developing in correct alignment. In children, girl are more likely to develop scoliosis over boys by a ratio of 9:1, which is a frightening difference and the reason is still unknown. Unfortunately for the children suffering from scoliosis, the brace itself can be a burden and stressful accessory in their life as it is bulky and not easily hidden under clothing. These braces are often fitted in a time in which it is a bad place for children to stand out from the crowd and can cause various other problems for the child at a young age.

With a recent advent in genetic analysis, a new test has been developed which can hopefully ease the life of some individuals who suffer from scoliosis and also work as a prevention technique. This test, developed by Axial Biotech, uses a small sample of saliva and analyzes two genetic markers which indicate the degree of which the scoliosis will worsen while the bones are still growing in adolescents. The total procedure combines the previous test and a physical test measuring the curvature of the spine and after combining the data a number is found which is called the ScoliScore. 

Through clinical studies it has been shown that ScoliScore can predict with almost 99 percent accuracy whether mild adolescent scoliosis in white children will progress to become a severe curve that requires surgery. This results of these tests can tell families and individuals whether or not the patient will be required or further required to wear a brace and reduce the amount of check-ups at the doctors office. 

Article:     http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/10/health/10brod.html?_r=0

Sub-article:        http://www.aaos.org/about/papers/position/1122.asp

Genomics as a Final Frontier, or Just a Way Station

This article is on the Genomc revolution and how it is forming very rapidly. In the article they refer to the revoluton coming very soon and guarentee (sort of) that it will be here within the next decade. The revoluton is that treatment for all illnesses will be individualized and they will concentrate on the individual gene causing the problem rather then a group ofgenes. They give an example of cancer and how they will be able to focus and fix the indvidual gene that is causing the problem rather then expose the human and all of the genes to chemotherapy possbly harming the whole humane and many more genes that are not affected just for one gene.



With this new revolution individuals will be defined at a more granular level then ever imaginable. The only issues that follow this new revolution is that some people might not want for their doctors to know them so closely as well as with anything they might not want to know the nature of whats wrong and may ask alot of questions about their and their kids future, but all optons have been weighed and the good in this new revolution certaintly out weighs the bad. We are makng huge strides in the genomics world and this is certainly a prime example of the places we are going and the goals we intend on accomplishing.