Aurora magazine

From nature, we should all be well away from coffee. The bitterness is in fact linked to poisonous and harmful substances: it is for this reason that we are far from most of the foods that have this flavor. Yet over the centuries coffee has conquered the hearts of many people. How is it possible? Scientists at Northwestern University have a possible answer.

US researchers have studied the relationship between genes, bitter sensitivity and preference between coffee and tea. The subjects most sensitive to the bitter taste are also those that consume more coffee. The predisposition to appreciate the bitterness of coffee would in fact be the result of experiences of positive reinforcement. The more coffee you drink, the more you feel energetic and positive, the more you appreciate the drink. How did scientists arrive at this conclusion?

The study analyzed the bitterness and drink consumption of 400,000 individuals. Scientists have looked for genetic variants that influence the bitterness of three substances: caffeine, quinine, and PROP. Caffeine is the substance contained in coffee, quinine gives the bitterness to tonic water and the PROP mimics the bitterness of cabbage and broccoli. Later, scientists compared data with the consumption of coffee, tea and alcohol.

The subjects most sensitive to bitter caffeine preferred coffee to tea. Those more predisposed towards quinine and PROP, instead, avoided the coffee. People most sensitive to PROP also tended to avoid alcohol, especially red wine.

Source: focus.it

DNA can predict a patient's response to certain antipsychotic drugs. This is revealed by a study by the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. The finding could significantly influence current pharmacological therapies against schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a psychiatric illness characterized by hallucination and disorganized behavior. Usually it is treated with antipsychotic drugs, but the choice of therapies is done without the laboratory test guide. Often one proceeds by trial, changing medication when the one in use proves to be ineffective. Patients are therefore struggling to find their emotional and even professional stability.

The team of Professor Todd Lencz used genetic tests to predict the response to drug therapies. For the study involved patients who had been diagnosed with the first episode of schizophrenia. They analyzed the entire genome, looking for thousands of genetic variants related to the disease. At a later stage, they used the results to score the treatment response.

The results open the door to precision medicine in psychiatry. The team's hope is to expand the study by applying genetic tests to therapies for other psychiatric illnesses. In addition, genetic tests could be used in combination with other types of tests, such as tacs and magnetic resonances.

The goal is to guarantee the thousands of people suffering from psychiatric illnesses personalized and safe treatments. In the future, it may become possible to immediately understand which drugs give the most chance. In this way, patients could live a relatively normal and at least more stable life.

Source: medicalxpress.com

Myotubular myopathy is a genetic disease that causes complete paralysis. It leads to death within two years of age and at the moment there is no treatment or cure. However, researchers at the University of Geneva and the University of Strasbourg have found a possible path.

Researchers have identified a molecule that reduces disease progression and increases life expectancy, at least in animal models. It is called tamoxifen and is already used in the treatment of breast cancer. The next step will be to start clinical trials, so as to verify their effects on children suffering from myotubular myopathy.

A gene therapy study is currently underway. But before human experimentation can take place, it will still take years. This is why scientists have looked for a possible alternative among the molecules already used in other treatments on humans. In this way, the possible transition to a treatment available to all will be shorter.

Tamoxifen has been used in the treatment of breast cancer for years. The molecule has several interesting properties, among which a protective action towards the muscle fibers. Furthermore, it is antioxidant, anti-fibrotic and protects mitochondria. For this reason, a study still underway is being used in the treatment against Duchenne dystrophy with excellent results.

Scientists administered oral tamoxifen daily to a group of guinea pigs. During the study they tested different dosages, including the one used in breast cancer. The untreated mice lived an average of 45 days. With the lowest dose the average life was 80 days, 120 days with the intermediate dose and 290 with the highest dose. Some subjects of the last group have even reached 400 days.

Source: unige.ch

The length of life of grandparents and great grandparents would have little to do with our longevity. According to a US study, the length of our life would depend on the genes for only 10%. They are much more important lifestyle, environment in which one lives and feeds. Proof? The analysis of over 439 million individuals, aimed at discovering how important genes are for lifespans.

The Calico Life Sciences researchers have selected the genealogical trees of more than 400 thousand individuals. They went back in time, looking for birth and death dates of their ancestors, but also the places where they lived. They then looked for longevity genes, comparing blood relatives and individuals from different families. From what emerged, genes would have a reduced influence on individual longevity.

The genetic heritage in common influences longevity for only 10%. If we also take into account data from acquired relatives, the percentage drops again and even reaches 7%. According to the analysis, husband and wife have a much more similar life span. What is surprising, however, is this also applies to the brothers-in-law. The reason? Perhaps the so-called "selective couplings".

With selective couplings we indicate the tendency of brothers and sisters to choose similar partners. The brothers-in-law would then tend to have in common ethnicity, tastes, cultural level and lifestyle. This would affect their life expectancy much more than the genes, explaining why the brothers in law would have a similar life span.

Source: ilmessaggero.it