How Some Smokers Stay Healthy

A British team of scientists funded by the Medical Research Council have recently discovered genetic differences that increases someone's likelihood of becoming addicted to cigarettes. The team, led by Ian Hall, found that certain DNA profiles have a lower risk of developing COPD, a collection of lung-related diseases. This DNA profile works regardless of external factors, like smoking. The genes linked to this profile are believed to affect the way the lungs grow and respond to injury. Unfortunately, the team also discovered a DNA profile that tended to increase the likelihood of developing lung disorders. This DNA profile helps to explain why many nonsmokers develop COPD. The team hopes that this research can help lead to better treatments for COPD.

Along with this discovery, the team was the first to discover five sections of DNA that can be linked to becoming a heavy smoker. These sections appear to affect the brain's functions in response to nicotine. This relationship is still being researched to better understand the process. Hall says that this research can help lead to more targeted treatments and can help combat those addicted to cigarettes beat the addiction.

This article help clarify something that I have always been confused about, that being that there are so many heavy smokers that appear to be very healthy individuals. Hopefully this research leads to not only treatments for lung disorders, but better methods to help smokers quit. This habit can be so life altering and there needs to be better ways to help people quit. While I do not believe that many current or future smokers will care that there are DNA profiles that increase the likelihood of developing COPD, I do think that this discovery can help sway some future smokers from beginning this habit.

The original article can be found here.

New Genes discovered for Asthma

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. Asthma causes wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing.

According to the article on Medical NewsToday, scientists at Imperial College London in the United Kingdom have discovered over 30 new genes that makes individuals have asthma and other allergies. The study took 10 years to complete. These researchers investigated factors that influenced the activity of genes rather than factors directly affecting genetic code. The genes that were identified by these researchers will help them make new potential drugs which will aid patients who are currently on other expensive therapies.  

I think that this is an excellent discovery in the medical field because in the United States, asthma affects more than 25 million people and about 7 million of these people are children. From my personal experience of working in a medical setting, I know how hard it is for people to afford asthma medications nowadays. This discovery will lead to cheaper, affordable medications for asthma patients.

Biomarkers help predict outcome in deadly lung disease

Picture of what scarring looks like in the lungs as carbon dioxide leaves and oxygen enters

Difference between normal lungs and lungs with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

One of the most lethal lung diseases, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), has led to studies in Yale that have shown to identify this disease with specific gene expressions. These expressions help the outcome and will lead to better treatment for patients with this disease. The average age to see signs of IPF is in adult individuals of 50 and 70 years of age. Medical News Today has noted that the side effects from this disease are progressive scarring of the lungs, leading to cough, shortness of breath, and potentially death. This disease is classified as idiopathic because the cause cannot be identified and there is no other cure other than a lung transplant. The goal of this experiment was to analyze changes of genes in the blood using two cohorts of patients. It was identified that 52 genes correlated with this disease and four specific genes, CD28, ICOS, LCK, and ITK, have a predicted shorter survival time in patients with IPF.The research team has said that they believe discovery of these biomarkers will help physicians better predict disease presence, severity, and prognosis in IPF patients. Being that these genes are related to immune activation, major impacts would be on drug studies. At this moment there is six drugs that are being studied for IPF. First author Jose Herazo-Maya of Yale School of Medicine said, "current drug studies do not address the variability in outcomes of IPF patients, instead our findings may help investigators target patients who are more likely to progress and improve."  

http://www.news-medical.net/news/2008/04/28/37851.aspx

(Article)http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/266946.php