Inheritance of the Risk Gene THADA from the Mother Poses Increased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in the Child
Categories Medical news

Inheritance of the Risk Gene THADA from the Mother Poses Increased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in the Child

The causes of type 2 diabetes are a combination of heredity and environment. Lund University in Sweden has exclusively analyzed the reason as to why type 2 diabetes is inherited to a greater extent from an individual’s mother. In the new study, the researchers used data from previous investigations and DNA gathered from 2000 families in which one parent and a child suffer from type 2 diabetes.

The results unveiled that the variations in two previously identified risk genes for type 2 diabetes, KCNQ1 and THADA, cause an increased risk of acquiring the disease in the child if they are inherited from the mother whereas inheritance from the father had less or no effect. The fact that the genes inherited from the mother affect the risk of disease probably depended on the genes from the father being silenced in a process known as imprinting.

Thus the lifestyle of the mother, with factors such as stress, diet, illness etc., probably affects the future risk of disease in the foetus. Prof. Leif Groop, the Lund University, responsible for this new study conveyed that exposure of foetus for a longer time in utero and breast-feeding could explain why heredity from the mother has a greater effect on the child’s genome.

Antimicrobial Agent Triclosan
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Is the Antimicrobial Agent Triclosan a Double-edged Sword?

Triclosan an antimicrobial and antifungal agent commonly used in most of the consumer products like shampoos, deodorants, toothpastes, etc. can disrupt bacterial communities found in the gut says a new study from Oregon State University. Triclosan continues to be used in medical settings, and can be easily absorbed through the skin. The research was published in PLOS ONE. The study was done in zebrafish, which is believed to be an important animal model to help determine possible human biological and health impacts of triclosan.

The study unveiled that triclosan exposure caused rapid changes in both the diversity and composition of the microbiome in the laboratory animals. Some bacteria (family Enterobacteriaceae) were more susceptible to the impact of triclosan and others were more resilient (genus Pseudomonas). However, implication on animal or human health is unclear. The gut-associated microbiome performs vital functions for human health, prevents colonization with pathogens, stimulates the development of the immune system, and produces micronutrients needed by the host. It is believed that compromising of the bacteria in the intestinal tract may contribute to the development or severity of disease.

According to scientists, part of the strength of the present study is developing improved ways, through rapid screening of zebrafish, to more easily determine which compounds may be acceptable and which are toxic. This study showed triclosan was quickly associated with shifts in the microbial community structure and can alter the abundance of specific taxa.

Loss of Y chromosomes
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Could `Loss of Y’ in Men Lead to Alzheimer’s Disease?

An inquisitive study has suggested that lose of Y chromosomes from the blood cells of elderly men may elevate the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The study of more than 3,200 European elderly men established that those who already had Alzheimer’s were nearly three times more likely to show a loss of the Y chromosome in some of their blood cells. Overall, 17 percent had a detectable loss of Y. Men missing the chromosome from around 35% of their blood cells were more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those with loss of Y in 10% of their cells.

In accordance to a study carried out by the co-author Lars Forsberg (researcher at Uppsala University, Sweden) loss of Y has been linked to cancer risk in elderly men. Dr. Luca Giliberto (neurologist and researcher with the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, NY) noted the loss of Y in certain autoimmune diseases which may affect Alzheimer’s risk. However, the workings of Y have not been fully understood and the reasons for the link are unclear. According to experts the study does not prove that loss of the Y chromosome directly contributes to Alzheimer’s disease. But it adds to evidence tying loss of Y to disease risk. The findings were reported online May 2016 in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

preeclampsia
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Bioprinted 3-D placenta model – A new hope in preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy where the mastery of placenta is crucial. The only effective treatment option of preeclampsia remains premature delivery. Now for the first time, scientists John P. Fisher, Che-Ying Kuo and colleagues have bioprinted a 3-D model of placenta tissue that mimics the organ’s complex structure.

In preeclampsia, special cells called trophoblasts that contribute to the fetal side of the placenta and interlace with the mother’s side of the tissue do not migrate normally. Investigation of this condition remains a major challenge. Current lab models of placenta tissue are two-dimensional which makes the study strenuous. The researchers have succeeded in developing a more accurate 3-D bioprinted model of placenta tissue including trophoblasts, epidermal growth factor and other key components. In the 3-D model the growth factor diffused outward through the printed tissue from the center, and the trophoblasts migrated toward it, mimicking cell movement in real tissue.

In addition to using their 3-D model for studying the development of preeclampsia, the researchers say the demonstration of trophoblast migration toward the growth factor shows the usefulness of factors to augment cell migration. The model, reported in the journal ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, could lead to a better understanding of preeclampsia and the development of new treatments

Intestinal Microbiota
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Intestinal Microbiota – A Novel Diagnostic Tool of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

A novel insight about the role of gut flora in the development of gastro-intestinal diseases has been unraveled by the research groups of Prof. Jeroen Raes (expert in metagenomics of the gut flora, VIB/KU Leuven) and prof. Severine Vermeire (expert in gastroenterology, KU Leuven/UZ Leuven). Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a liver disease with no effective medical treatment.

Thus far liver transplantation is the only proven long-term treatment of PSC. A vast majority of patients with PSC also have inflammatory bowel disease which hinted a role of intestine in the origin of this PSC. When Prof. Jeroen Raes, using massive DNA sequencing, compared the gut bacteria in patients with PSC and in healthy people he could develop a signature to diagnose PSC based on gut bacteria. The first results of this collaborative research are published in the leading scientific journal Gut.

The results are required to be confirmed before they can be used in clinical practice. The findings may serve as the grassroot factor for the development of microbiota-based therapies, such as fecal microbiota transplantation or targeted pre- and probiotics. Both teams are planning to further investigate the complex interactions between the immune system and the intestinal microbiota in PSC patients.