Aurora magazine

The Dot Foundation has an ambitious goal: eradicating rejection thanks to genetic research on transplants. The foundation was born a few months ago, thanks to an initiative of the Piedmont Region. At his head is Professor Mauro Salizzoni, an expert in transplantation.

The rejection is a problem that affects about a fifth of those who have received a new organ. It is estimated that 20% of those awaiting a transplant are on their second attempt. In these cases, the first organ was attacked by the patient's immune system and irreparably damaged. The work of the Dot Foundation aims to solve this problem by identifying possible early markers of rejection. This way you avoid losing the transplanted organ.

Salizzoni has launched an announcement: it could take € 200,000 and a year of work to start the project. A project that goes back to the origins of the history of transplants, which began with genetics. A project that could also bring benefits to other areas of medicine. Recall that the new drug against hepatitis C comes from transplant medicine.

To start the research, thousands of biological samples of donors and recipients will need to be collected and stored. Researchers will analyze the DNA, in order to identify any common genetic variants. These could become early markers linked to the risk of rejection, allowing to better match the organ and the recipient. This would extend the life of the transplanted organs and improve that of those who receive them.

Source: ansa.it

A team from the Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) and Cedars-Sinai has discovered a new way to measure cell age. The technique could improve current tumor screening and monitoring techniques.

According to some studies, over the years the cells lose particular chemicals that regulate cell activity. The process is progressive and measurable, easy to identify especially in the early stages of development. Nevertheless, these changes go on throughout life, determining the actual age of the person. They are also connected to the development of some forms of cancer.

The work in question is based on these concepts and on a 2011 study conducted by the authors themselves. At the time the team identified the areas of the genome in which these substances are lost, called methyl groups. However, the technique was applicable only to cancer cells. Therefore, a fee applicable to healthy cells was missing.

The cellular clock starts when our cells begin to divide and reproduce. Each division causes imperceptible changes in the genome, which accumulate over the years. The new method allows to cover all cell divisions, starting from the early stages of embryonic development. In this way it is possible to measure the genetic damage caused by age.

The link between tumors and loss of methyl groups in DNA has been established for years. It is known that it is much more common in tissues that reproduce very quickly, since rapid cell turnover facilitates the accumulation of errors. However, the mechanisms behind the phenomenon are largely unknown. The discovery highlighted the degeneration of cancer cells is an increased and accelerated version of normal cellular aging.

Source: vai.org

Many causes of genetic pressure are related to nutrition and lifestyle. Smoking, eating unbalanced and leading a sedentary lifestyle increase the risk of hypertension. A study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics also reveals some genetic causes.

The researchers conducted the study on over 600 thousand smokers from Asia, Europe, Africa and South America. They collected data on diastolic and systolic blood pressure, the number of cigarettes smoked and genetic markers. They have thus identified some genes already linked to hypertension and others previously unknown.

Among the genetic causes of high blood pressure there is a variation in the genes that control the formation of cellular cilia. These tiny extensions are used to eliminate harsh substances in the lungs, nose and ears. When they work the wrong way, kidney disease and hypertension can occur.

There are many other genetic variants related to high blood pressure. Some of these are related to telomere length, while others involve relevant genes in diabetes and obesity. Among the identified genes, there are also those associated with nicotine and alcohol dependence. All this shows how high blood pressure is a complex phenomenon linked to many biological factors. It is also for this reason that some drugs work on patients and not on others.

Source: healthdesk.it

Researchers at the University of Warwick have developed tests for early diagnosis of autism. They started from the blood and urine samples of some patients and identified a series of possible markers. The test could help identify the most dubious cases of autism spectrum disorders right away.

Autism spectrum disorders and autism include a wide range of symptoms. These include problems of social interaction, compulsive behavior, hyperactivity, anxiety. The amount of possible symptoms makes it difficult in some cases to make a clear and safe diagnosis. For this reason, in the early stages the disorder can go almost unnoticed and remain without a diagnosis.

The authors of the study collaborated with researchers at the University of Bologna. They involved 38 children with autism spectrum disorders between 5 and 12 years. 31 children were used as a control group.

Scientists have found a link between autism spectrum disorders and damage in some plasma proteins. Examining the blood of some small patients, they identified high levels of oxidation markers of dityrosine (DT). They also found reaction products between sugars and proteins called advanced glycation end-products (AGE).

The causes of autism and autism spectrum disorders are still unclear. It is thought that genetics plays a decisive role in at least a third of cases. As for the others, it is suspected that the cause is the set of environmental factors and genetic mutations. According to the authors of the study, the anomalies identified by the test could be among the possible causes.

The next step will be to repeat the study with a larger group of children. Only in this way will it be possible to understand if the test is really effective for the early diagnosis of autism.

Source: theguardian.com