BioQuakes

AP Biology class blog for discussing current research in Biology

Author: mitokahndria

Does long-term endurance training impact muscle epigenetics?

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Epigenetics translates to “above” or “on top of” genetics. To be more specific, Epigenetics is the study of how modification of gene expression can cause changes in many organisms.

A new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden explores the theory that long-term endurance training alters the epigenetic pattern in the human skeletal muscle. The team that conducted the research also explored strong links between these altered epigenetic patterns and the activity in genes controlling improved metabolism and inflammation.

The study was conducted using 23 young and healthy men and women. The men and woman would perform one-legged cycling – where the untrained leg would be the control of the experiment. Four times a week and over the course of three months, the volunteers would participate in a 45 minute training session. Though skeletal muscle biopsies, supervisors would measure their markers for skeletal muscle metabolism, methylation status of 480,000 sites in the genome, and activity of over 20,000 genes.

At the end of the study, the researchers concluded that there was a strong relationship between epigenetic methylation and the change in activity of 4000 genes in total. Epigenetic methylation is defined as the “addition of a methyl group to a substrate or the substitution of an atom or group by a methyl group. ” Moreover, it was determined that methylation levels increased when involved in skeletal muscle adaptation and the metabolism of carbohydrates. However, methylation levels decreased in regions associated to inflammation.

Furthermore, Carl Johan Sundberg found that “endurance training in a coordinated fashion affects thousands of DNA methylation sites and genes associated to improvement in muscle function and health.” He believes that this determination could be vital to understanding the treatment of diabetes and cardiovascular disease as well as how to properly maintain good muscle function throughout life.

This article relates very much to our work in class as we learn the Molecular Genetics Unit. It connects because we are learning what happens when mutations occur in one’s genome and the impacts those mutations have on someone. For example, cancer is one of the most researched and explored topics in regard to how modification of gene expression alters organisms. Oncogenes and Tumor suppressor genes have vital impacts on cellular division, changes to cellular function, and the growth of tumors.

Head Start is the way to “Start”

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Eat healthily, sleep well, breathe deeply, move harmoniously,” said Jean-Pierre Barral*

The good health and well-being of Americans is something that matters to me.

Head Start is a United States Department of Health and Human Services program that helps low income families achieve the goal of living a healthy lifestyle. This program occurs during the transition from preschool to elementary school. Its mission is to foster stable family relationships, enhance children’s physical and emotional well-being, and establish an environment to develop strong cognitive skills.

According to an article by Kathryn Doyle, “Obese kids in Head Start get healthier during the year.” This conclusion was determined through a study by Reuters Health on pre-schoolers in Michigan. From the study, they concluded that the kids who were underweight or overweight at the start of the program were healthier than the other kids in their community when they all entered kindergarten.

In the article, Dr. Julie C. Lumeng of the Center for Human Growth and Development at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor states that she was “watching their weight get better.”  The researchers involved in the study used children’s height and weight data, which was provided by Michigan Head Start programs for 19,000 kids to calculate their BMIs. They compared these BMIs to what would be considered the average for other children of the same age in Michigan. It was found that within the first academic year, the overweight kids who started Head Start lost weight and the underweight kids gained weight.

Mary Cunningham Deluca, director of children services at Community Action Agency in Jackson, Michigan, believes nutrition is the most important part and I could not agree more. I chose this article because I like to be extremely health conscious. I try to fuel my body with the best food for me and maintain an active lifestyle. Personally, I have found that  living a healthy lifestyle builds confidence, opens your mind, and teaches you to break through boundaries and overcome obstacles you never thought possible. It opens up opportunities and that is exactly what we need to do for children; It’s time to give them a “head start!”

 

*”Jean-Pierre Barral is an Osteopath and Registered Physical Therapist, who serves as Director and Faculty of the Department of Osteopathic Manipulation at the University of Paris School of Medicine in Paris, France. He earned his diploma in Osteopathic Medicine in 1974 from the European School of Osteopathy in Maidstone, England, and went on to teach spinal biomechanics at the institution from 1975-1982.”

 

New Breast Cancer Gene Discovered

 

 

 

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Today, one of the most talked about cancers is breast cancer. Breast cancer is defined as cancer that forms in the tissues of the breast. There are two types of breast cancer: ductal carcinoma, which is most common and begins in the lining of the milk ducts (thin tubes that carry milk from the lobules of the breast to the nipple) and lobular carcinoma, which begins in the lobules (milk glands) of the breast.

According to a new study done by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and University of Cambridge, a gene has been identified to have a major association in aggressive subtypes of breast cancer. The research suggests that an overactive BCL11A gene causes the development of tripe-negative breast cancer.

The study was conducted in human cells and in mice. The study was important because one in five patients are affected by triple-negative breast cancer. From the conducted research, Dr. Walid Khaled discovered that by adding an active human BCL11A gene to a human or a mouse’s breast cells (in the lab) caused them to behave as cancer cells. Increasingly, Dr. Khaled concluded that “by increasing BCL11A activity we increase cancer-like behaviour; by reducing it, we reduce cancer-like behavior.”

This research and study is extremely important because from the results, the team was able to propose that BCL11A is a strong candidate for development of a possible targeted treatment. Typical treatments of breast cancer include radiation and chemotherapy as well as surgery. The most known surgeries are Lumpectomy/partial mastectomy (large portion of the breast is removed) and a full mastectomy (full removal of breasts)

I chose this article because I know many dear friends that have faced and survived the battle of breast cancer. I believe that spreading awareness and screening early is extremely important. In addition, I am very hopeful that new advances will be made so that others need not endure the excruciating fight of breast cancer.

 

Could non-gluten proteins play a role in celiac disease?

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Gluten refers to the proteins found in wheat endosperm. Wheat endosperm is a type of tissue produced in seeds that’s ground to make flour.  It is composed of two different proteins: gliadin (a prolamin protein) and glutenin (a glutelin protein). Today, there are many questions being asked about whether we should be consuming gluten.

In today’s society, one of the new healthy trends is to be gluten free. However, for those with celiac disease, it is necessary to be gluten free. Celiac disease is a condition that damages the lining of the small intestine. It prevents the intestine from absorbing parts of food that are important for staying healthy. In this article, questions are raised regarding research that claims that people with celiac disease also have reactions to non-gluten proteins.

From research, scientists have discovered that when someone with celiac disease eats gluten (group of proteins), it causes an immune reaction. Such symptoms are diarrhea, abdominal pain, anemia, and nutritional deficiencies. The current treatments are to avoid all gluten-containing foods. Armin Alaedini, Susan B. Altenbach, and their colleagues wanted to further investigate this.  They found that people with celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis (a rash associated with the disease) had an immune reaction to five groups of non-gluten proteins. From this, Scientists concluded that further studies regarding celiac disease and gluten should test and include non-gluten proteins.

In addition, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the way to test for celiac disease is through a blood test and then a follow up biopsy on the small intestine. When people have celiac disease and it goes untreated, their body is not receiving the necessary nutrients in order for the body to grow.

I chose this article because I try to be extremely conscious of making healthy eating choices. I have found that a lot of foods don’t agree with me but bread/ gluten has never been a concern. I know people who have celiac disease and are gluten-free. However, I also know people who do not have celiac disease and eat a gluten-free diet anyway. In some cases, people who have done this have found that it damages their stomach and ruins their ability to eat gluten. I researched this topic because I wanted to learn the truth behind a gluten-free diet and when that diet is truly necessary and appropriate.

Are you gluten-free? Do you have celiac disease? Have you ever tried gluten-free products?

 

http://celiac.org/celiac-disease/what-is-celiac-disease/

http://www.livescience.com/39726-what-is-gluten.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten

http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/digestive-diseases/celiac-disease/Pages/ez.aspx

Article Link: http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2014/11/05/could_nongluten_proteins_play_a_role_in_celiac_disease.html

 

 

A Baby’s Immune System Might Be Stronger Than We Think

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Mothers are often extremely protective of their newborn. Most moms are fearful that everything could potentially make their baby sick. Unfortunately though, there is no absolutely sure way to keep a child from getting sick. The immune system plays a huge role in keeping humans well. Two important parts of the immune system are antibodies and memory cells. Antibodies help kill harmful germs while memory cells help the immune system respond quickly to an infection and prevent disease. In fact, recent studies prove that the Immune system of newborn babies are stronger than people previously believed.

Scientists involved in a study led by King’s College London, are reporting that newborn immune T cells can trigger an inflammatory response to bacteria. Originally, it was believed that babies immune systems were immature and therefore couldn’t trigger the same inflammatory response adults normally demonstrate. The team discovered that whilst T cells in newborn babies manufacture a potent anti-bacterial molecule known as IL8. It activates neutrophils to attack the body’s foreign invaders.

In addition, Dr. Deena Gibbons, Lead author in the Department of Immunobiology at King’s College London believes that this “mechanism by which the baby protects itself in the womb from infections of the mother.” Next, she plans to better understand the reasons that there are many differences between the immune cells in newborns and those in adults.

The T Cell activity demonstrated by newborns could be used for future treatments to boost the immune system or neonates in intensive care (place with major risk of infection).

This article is very interesting and important because it is vital to keep newborn babies as healthy and safe as we possibly can. Sometimes it can be as simple as following common measures such as hand washing, avoiding people who are most likely to be sick, snotty noses or hacking coughs. A mother should try to do anything she can to limit the demands placed and a baby’s immune system in the early months to keep her baby healthy.

I chose this article because I know what it is like to be a patient in a Hospital and the precautions that doctors take to prevent further sickness when the immune system is not fully developed or strong.

Image links: 

Häggström, Mikael. “Medical gallery of Mikael Häggström 2014“. Wikiversity Journal of Medicine 1 (2). DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.008ISSN 20018762. – Image:Lymphocyte_activation.png

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immune_system

Article: King’s College London. “Immune system of newborn babies stronger than previously thought.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 21 September 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140921145104.htm>.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140921145104.htm

Other Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immune_system

http://www.wellness.com/reference/allergies/newborn-immune-system

http://www.nobelprize.org/educational/medicine/immunity/immune-detail.html

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