Using an 'Epigenetic Clock' to Predict How Long One May Live

    The article, Could a Cheek Swab Predict When You Might Die, jumps right into a new test called a CheekAge and how this test can, someday, accurately predict how long someone has to live, as well as analyze mortality rates for an individual. CheekAge test tracks epigenetics via simply swabbing cells within the mouth.  Epigenetics tracks how a person's environment or lifestyle can alter how genes function throughout their lifespan. Typically, when researchers observe epigenetics, they follow a key tracker: DNA methylation. DNA methylation is a phenomenon where, without changing the essential composition of the gene, but the gene's ability to function/ gene activity is a result of molecular alteration or shifts in the DNA segments. The CheekAge takes advantage of DNA methylation by analyzing specific DNA methylation patterns from cells inside the mouth collected via a swab. CheekAge almost acts as an "epigenetic clock,"  subsequently examining and comparing results from the test to basic methylation patterns associated with life span "mile markers." 

    Dr. Maxim Shokhirev and his team of colleagues conducted a study that involved participants who underwent testing once every three years for DNA methylation via blood cell analysis-- roughly 450,000 different methylation sites on each of their genomes were taken and observed. These same participants underwent the CheekAge test, and the results were examined and compared. Dr. Shokhirev and colleagues concluded that CheekAge is accurately and significantly associated with mortality, this was concluded through extensive and longstanding datasets. Dr. Shokhirev and his team observed specific methylation sites that seemed pivotal in determining when one might die. One gene site possibly linked to suppressing cancer is PDZRN4 and ALPK2, a gene linked to heart health and cancer development. Other methylation sites have been connected to other health diseases and syndromes, such as inflammation, metabolic syndromes, and even osteoporosis. These genes can be analyzed to see if they significantly impact the lifespan of an individual. 

    Currently, blood-based epigenetic testing is the preferred method. However, the CheekAge could be a cheaper, faster, more convenient, and a valuable alternative to analysis of tracking the biology of aging, as it uses a simple, noninvasive cheek swab rather than a blood sample being drawn from a patient. 

I found this article interesting because the idea of using a cheek swab to date and potentially predict mortality is foreign yet so interesting, which is why it sparked my curiosity. Regardless, future studies still need to be conducted to identify and clarify other health-related relations that can be linked to CheekAge. However, I believe CheekAge can be used as a means of reducing some healthcare costs [a very prevalent and pervasive crisis in this day and age] since CheekAge is a simpler, cheaper, and faster method of epigenetic testing, making healthcare more widely accessible and available to people. Potentially, being able to use CheekAge to determine the frequency of age-related diseases, duration of health spans, and better predict risk rates for individuals diagnosed with life-threatening diseases could remarkably change the healthcare system for the better!

Sickle Cell Gene Therapy May Cause Cancer Linked Mutations

 There are forms of gene therapy that has the potential to benefit patients with genetic blood disorders. There is a study on individuals in a trial for sickle cell disease that suggests  key process within giving out the treatment might cause mutation that turn blood stem cells cancerous. In a very recent study that was lead by the University of York reported that  six patients involved in treatment for sickle cell gene therapy had showed signs of mutations that are linked with the development of cancer. Scientists responsible for the study says that this case needs more of a long-term study so they can understand and determine how the cells continue to evolve. Sickle Cell disease is where an inherited disorder in which causes pathological changes to an individual's hemoglobin. This is where the disease causes red blood cells to harden and obtain the "sickle" shape and die. With this, gene therapy can alter an individual's genes in a certain way that corrects the mutation or makes they can express a different, healthy form of hemoglobin. 

    Researchers paired whole-genome sequencing with new methods to follow and compare the DNA of blood stem cells in patients before and also after they undergo their treatment. After the study they were able to find that there were numerous driver mutations that have been linked to blood cancer. The researchers also describe that the treatment itself is not causing the mutations, but they say it appears to come from one of the earlier parts of the process. As described in the beginning they would need to undergo further research and study and identify how the cells evolve like that. 

Links:

https://www.fiercebiotech.com/research/sickle-cell-gene-therapy-process-may-cause-cancer-linked-mutations-blood-stem-cells

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/sickle-cell-disease#:~:text=Sickle%20cell%20disease%20is%20an%20inherited%20blood%20disorder%20marked%20by,causing%20painful%20and%20damaging%20complications.

Chronic stress causing genetic changes

 

Chronic stress in animals causes lower quality of animal products which means larger quantity having to be discarded. In this article, it mentions researchers from Sweden and Brazil being looking for signs of how chronic stress can affect genes of red blood cells. In the study, one group of male chickens were raised in a normal commercial environment while the other group was exposed to factors that are known to induce stress. After this they took blood samples and the analyzed the methylation of red blood cells. The way the methyl groups had bound to the DNA was different in the control and stressed. In my opinion I believe stress can physically change the body of any animal, so for scientist to be able to isolate and find the change is interesting. This would be useful to be able to keep track of stress of animals in order for farmers to get quality products. I think this study was helpful because it could reduce the use of antibiotics in meats in the future. If farmers are able to give animals non-stressed lives or be able to test the blood and find out which are the stressed ones, it might help the farmers greatly.

Additional link

Convert blood types into type O

                        During the 256th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, researchers from the University of British Columbia describe they may have found a way to convert blood group into blood type O.  Researchers believe using a bacterial enzyme will turn any blood into type O.  The bacteria enzyme is from the human gut. To convert any blood types AB, A, B, into O, the markers or antigens from these types of blood will need to remove. By removing these antigens, all blood will be compatible. This is just a theory right now. Currently, researchers are continuing to work on this new idea. So far, they had gotten outstanding results from samples of human feces.

             This idea is very calm and astonishment. Right now, there are four basic types of blood groups. There are AB, A, B, and O. Each of these blood groups has different antigens. Blood A has A antigens and can only get it A blood, blood AB has A antigens and B antigens and can receive any type. Blood B has B antigens and can only get B blood.

On the other hand, blood O has no antigens but can give to any of the blood groups. Also, blood O can only receive from O. If in the future, this succeeds, everyone will no longer need to wait for blood donations. All blood will be compatible with each other.

https://bigthink.com/stephen-johnson/scientists-use-gut-bacteria-to-convert-any-blood-into-type-o
https://techthelead.com/scientists-discovered-how-to-convert-type-a-blood-into-type-o/

Can Our Genes Change Due To Our Culture?

Like stated in this article, over millions of years humans’ genes have altered due to certain cultures or how human evolve. It points out that from cavemen times, humans’ anatomy adjusted a lot just to the discovery of fire. Since fire helped to cook meat and, as humans, we don’t have to have strong mouth muscles to tear through raw meat, so our muscles have weakened as humankind evolved.

Other examples that supported this statement about how genes change due to culture or evolving are how over sixty percent of people are lactose intolerant due to the loss of their lactase enzyme and how certain eastern Asian countries have adopted to a sea nomad lifestyle due to a larger spleen. Having the larger spleen was made possible by a gene called PEE10A which allows the spleen to hold more oxygenated blood cells to be able to stay in water longer. Having more oxygenated red blood cells are essential for this lifestyle because it aids with how long they drive to find food. This gene gets passed on to their offsprings so that their lifestyles are already adjusted for their living.

Most people lose the lactase enzyme because it is originally there to help digest breast milk as an infant. So many adults experience this intolerance because they no longer have this enzyme. Lactase contains a gene called LCT gene which is a coding gene that allows the body normally ingest lactose. This gene is seen in different African, European and Asian countries because of their forager lifestyle.

These examples show how different cultures and lifestyles can change our lives as a whole; therefore, would change our genetics during evolution to adapt. After reading this article and reading the examples stated in it, I do believe that your culture or lifestyle can change your genes because of natural selection. Only the strongest survive, so the body adjusts accordingly, which also may mean that your genes would change too.

Early clinical trial data show gene therapy reversing sickle cell anemia

The Cincinnati Children's Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute has been researching and developing a new gene therapy to combat the horribly inherited disease, sickle-cell anemia. After finally being able to treat two patients, and now a year and six months after treatment, both patients are seeing "remarkable improvement in the quality of life due to remarkable reduction in disease symptoms."

This therapy developed in Cincinnati uses "modified gamma globin lentivirus vector to transfer healthy fetal hemoglobin (HbF) gene into a patient's blood stem cells." If sufficient amounts of HbF are present in the human body, the blood cells cannot "sickle" and therefore are able to properly transport oxygen through the blood. First, cells are collected from the sickle-cell patient and genetically modified with the lentivirus. Then after a low dose of chemotherapy to the patient's bone marrow, the newly corrected cells are placed back into the body. The goal of such gene therapy is to make it most accessible and affordable in Central Africa, where sickle-cell is rampant. However, some 90,000 people in the United States are still plagued with the disease.

As mentioned, the patients who received gene therapy have been experience a better life after their treatment. After only 15 and 12 months, patient one had only one acute sickle event and the second has had no issue with blood cells becoming stuck in the bloodstream. Cincinnati Children's hopes to be able to further their research and continue to treat more patients with less harmful treatments so the quality of life for genetically sickle-cell patients continues to improve.

The research done in Cincinnati seems to have been successful for the sickle-cell community. I am sure that those who suffer from or have family members that suffer from this horrible disease would be glad to see treatment option soon available, with little harm and to their health, and seemingly quick relief of past symptoms.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181204095344.htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3139383/
https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/service/c/cancer-blood/cancer

How One Child's Sickle Cell Mutation Helped Protect the World from Malaria

Recently a study conducted by the Center of Research on Genomics and Global Health, a part of the National Institutes of Health looked into how humans obtained sickle cell anemia. This genetic mutation alters ones hemoglobin which is the molecule on the red blood cell that moves oxygen throughout the body. Roughly 7,300 years ago in Africa, scientists have found that if a person had two copies of a mutated hemoglobin gene led to the sickle cell shape attributed to the name, sickle cell anemia. However, researchers were left in a, "genetic mystery," onto why this mutation never died off. It was discovered that if a person had one mutated hemoglobin gene this allowed that individual to survive the mosquito transmitted disease, malaria, a wide spread disease in Africa at the time. Essentially, if an individual had only one copy of this allele they were safe however, if one was to have two copies of this allele, their blood cells would be defective and clog the blood vessels in the body. This discovery led researchers to believe that the development of sickle cell anemia is linked to human survival of malaria.

Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/08/health/sickle-cell-mutation.html
Original Study: http://www.cell.com/ajhg/fulltext/S0002-9297(18)30048-X

Monkeys with Parkinson's disease benefit from human stem cells

A article on science daily was published regarding how monkeys with Parkinson's disease are benefiting from human stem cells.

Parkinson's disease degenerates cells in the brain known as dopaminergic (DA) neurons. When the symptoms of Parkinson's are found, it most likely appears that more than half of the DA neurons are lost in the brain of the individual. Neurosurgeons are planning on using DA neurons created from iPS cells to treat these patients with the disease. iPS cells are made from blood and skin cells which makes them easily obtainable. This idea is being tested for its safety and reliability, so they are trying the experiment on monkeys that have Parkinson's by transplanting the new cells in the monkeys brains.

I believe this could be a remarkable and cheap breakthrough if it works. Scientists were usually using fetal tissue to create DA neurons . Studies mentioned on how the transplant of these cells aid and help relieve symptoms of the disease. But using fetal tissues in general is a controversial topic. The use of iPS cells can help substitute the use of fetal tissue to treat patients.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170830132224.htm

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v548/n7669/full/nature23664.html?foxtrotcallback=true

Gene mutation leads to increased risk of Leukemia

 Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a cancer that attacks the blood cells and bone marrow. This cancer usually occurs most often in children, however it may occur in adults but its harder to treat later in life. According to a recent study at the University of Colorado Cancer center, they discovered a mutation in the gene ETV6 that contributes to ALL. This gene contributes to the development of blood cells and acts as a blue print for proteins to undergo transcription.

The study started when a family was found to have an extremely high rate of having ALL. Every family member had these three traits in common: big red blood cells, low platelet counts, and a tendency to bleed. The researchers decided to carry out exome sequencing of this family's genes which lead them to the mutation in ETV6.  This study revealed that this mutation can run in families.
I believe these findings are very important to diagnosing ALL earlier and being able to tell if your family has a risk of developing this cancer. I am excited to see where these findings will lead to next in developing cures for cancers.  

Healthy blood cells of 115-year-old woman show hundreds of mutations

      According to MLT's article, in 2005, a 115-year old woman died and became the oldest person ever to donate her body to science. Now, researchers who analyzed the healthy blood cells in her body say they have identified over 400 genetic mutations, suggesting such lesions are mostly harmless in our bodies over a lifetime. It is explained that very little is known about mutations in the bodies of healthy people. Stem cells in our bone marrow are constantly dividing to create new blood cells, but the researchers note that the process of cell division introduces errors, and the dividing cells can acquire genetic mutations. In patients with blood cancers, hundreds of mutations have been found but, it is not clear whether healthy white blood cells also contain mutations.To be more conclusive,  researchers utilized whole genome sequencing of healthy white blood cells from the 115-year-old woman to determine whether mutations do, in fact, build up there.
    
      The 115 year old woman did not have any symptoms of hematological illnesses, the researchers say, and add that an autopsy showed she "did not suffer from vascular or dementia-related pathology." Results showed that there were over 400 somatic mutations ,  in the white blood cells that were not found in her brain. In fact,the mutations they found were mostly in non-coding regions of the genome that have not previously been linked with disease, but they were in "mutation-prone" areas, such as "methylated cytosine DNA bases and solvent-accessible stretches of DNA." One of the researcher's concluded that in human longevity, future studies need to investigate whether stem cell exhaustion is a likely cause of death at very old ages.

     It is amazing what researcher's can find when people donate their bodies to science. It helps us understand diseases and help further our advancements in technology to develop cures and/or better understanding of mutations we sinmply cannot explain.It is truly interesting how results showed over 400 somatic mutations (those that are not passed on to offspring and do not lead to disease) in her blood cells. They also found that the white blood cell telomeres were 17 times shorter than those in the brain.

For more information on stem cells and aging please visit: http://www.agein.com/would-you-try-stem-cells-controversial-anti-aging-solution-to-look-younger-3360