Does Gender Leave you at a Higher Disposition for Psychiatric Diseases?

 

Researchers have found that certain psychotic disorders are linked to sex genes. This is to help shed light as to why disorders like, depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorders appear and affect differently in men and women. There were almost 12 SNPs that differed in men and women in the same disorders of these three primarily studied. These SNP were found in neuronal, cardiovascular, and vascular pathways. The SNPs were seen giving an increased chance of developing one disease in one sex. Scientists have been trying to see how genetics and environmental factors increase the risk for these disorders. IPSYCH and Psychiatric Genomics Consortium have been the main contenders in this research. It has been seen that men have a slightly higher risk for schizophrenia but two folds higher for major depression and anxiety disorders in women. This is true for all men and women, meaning it does not differ throughout cultures. The SNP in IDO2 gene has been found to decrease the risk of major depression & schizophrenia in women while increasing the risk in men. But it did increase the risk of bipolar in women and decrease the risk in men. This can be used to help specify treatments for the different sexes.

Overall, I find this very interesting and very important for this day in age. We have seen so many mental health diseases but is it due to environmental differences. Or have they have always been there, but undiagnosed. These genetic predispositions that are leaving people at higher risk to these disorders and a heavily judgmental society due to the use of social media I believe have been sending the amount of diagnosed mental health diseases skyrocketing. I currently work in a pharmacy and it is sad to say but I would say around 95% of prescriptions are related to the treatment of mental disorders whether it be antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, etc. Menta; health has never been more important in this difficult time we are in and this research will help our understanding of mental diseases furtherer.

 

https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/genetic-variants-tied-to-sex-differences-in-psychiatric-disorders-68624

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30127341/

https://www.the-scientist.com/features/sex-differences-in-the-brain-34758

Junk RNA put to good use

RNA

 In the article written by Catharine Paddock describes what is commonly known as “junk” RNA has been found to be of a greater use such as controlling many biological processes during development and progression of cancer. A tumor, associated proliferation including RNA (TAPIR) has a greater chance of stopping the growth of cancer cell growth. A study constructed by Friedemann Horn, a professor at the University of Leipzig and, Manfred Wirth, a professor at the University of Dresden, bettering a test for prostate cancer by using non-coding RNA.

The current method of testing for prostate cancer measures the prostate specific antigen and prostate cancer gene 3 but it is noted in the article, these signs are easily missed or not accurate. The test using non-coding RNA offers better sensitivity (ruling out diseases upon negative result) and specificity (accurately diagnosing when results are positive). From biopsies done of tissue samples from 64 cancer patients showed 2,000 sequences were significantly different in cancer patients than healthy control. The new urine test will be improved to test for a combination of biomarkers.

An accurate diagnosis and detection is needed for men due to the how prevalent this cancer is. Stated in the article 1 out of 7 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and estimated by The American Cancer Society about 180,890 men will be diagnosed in 2016 and about 26,120 will die due to prostate cancer. This should not be taken lightly because this is one of the cancers that can be genetically traced and men can prepare themselves for with the right tests. In my opinion, all men should do a routine check up and get tested genetically to verify if they will be affected by this or not.

"Y'd" You Have To Go?-Loss of Y Sex Chromosome in Men Contributing Factor in Cancer and Lower Life Expectany

The Y chromosome in humans is widely known to be one of the sex chromosomes that determines the physical sex of a person. A Y chromosome translates to a physically male human, and males have been found to have a lower life expectancy. Researchers at Uppsala University have recently found that loss of the Y chromosome in aging men may be to blame. They took blood samples from over 1600 elderly men and found that the most common abnormality was loss of Y chromosomes in a large number of their white blood cells. The study went on for several years to follow the lives of the men, and those who had lost a large number of Y chromosomes had shorter lives, regardless of how they died. Those men also had a higher risk of getting cancer. The Y chromosome is sometimes believed to be insignificant beyond sex determination and sperm production, but it also has an important tumor suppression role. Hopefully, future research will make it possible to use the Y chromosome to predict the risk a man has for developing cancer.

Secondary Article

Is Y chromosome responsible for shorter life expectancy and higher cancer risk in men?

 

Overall, it is pretty well known that men have a shorter life expectancy, as well as a higher risk for certain types of cancers than women. An international group of researchers analyzed DNA samples from over 1,600 elderly men. They found that the loss of the Y chromosome in some white blood cells was the most common genetic alteration. They also found a correlation between the loss of the Y chromosome and a shorter life span, as well as an increased risk of cancer mortality. Everyone knows that the Y chromosome is mostly known because it is only present in men, and it plays a role in sex determination and sperm production. However, these researchers found that the Y chromosome also has a role in tumor suppression, which could explain why men get cancer more than women.

Hopefully in the future, the Y chromosome could predict the risk for men to develop cancer. Also, this new research could help determine why men have a higher risk for certain cancers opposed to women.

 

 

Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140428121205.htm

Related Article: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2164/14/323