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Some new genetic info

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 10/29/2014 6:23 PM (GMT 0)
FYI. Still begs the question,why did it wait until I was 32 to turn on.

Old Mike

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-10-autoimmune-diseases-genetic-cellular-culprits.html

Posted 10/29/2014 6:52 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for sharing! This was interesting.

Did anyone else see this?

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/oct/27/receptos-ulcerative-colitis-rpc1063/

They're going to be starting a phase 3 trial for this drug in the use of treatment for Ulcerative Colitis.
Posted 10/29/2014 7:10 PM (GMT 0)
That's a pretty big discovery and it will probably fuel more meaningful research into the genetics of disease.

EDIT: So this seems to say that at least for the 21 AI diseases they studied that it seems to be epigenetic. The epigenetic changes are a result of these DNA sequences called "enhancers" turning on certain genes that probably shouldn't be turned on in our immune cells. So for these diseases, the problem maybe isn't a mutated protein or something, but turning on something that maybe shouldn't be turned on.

Of course this prompts the question of why this happens and what can be done to reverse it. Seems like if it's a matter of DNA interacting with itself, there has gotta be a way to prevent/stop that from happening.

Basic research making the world slightly brighter every day... :-)

Post Edited (Tunnelvisionary) : 10/29/2014 1:35:32 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/29/2014 7:34 PM (GMT 0)
Epigenetics is huge, and it was a big discovery. I would not say it IS a big discovery, because the role of epigenetics in addition to genes, environment, and gut microbes has been in the literature for over a decade.

Now, research that finds hot to flip epigenetic switches - that would be a groundbreaking discovery

and OM, maybe the question is why the switch flipped at 32, but why it did not flip at 22 or 42?
Posted 10/29/2014 8:39 PM (GMT 0)
Personally I think it just strengthens the case of a bacterial cause/response being the issue in the first place. So nothing flips on or off per say out of the blue one morning - more like we're tuned or primed for a chronic/hyper-resposne in certain cases/infection.
Posted 10/29/2014 9:01 PM (GMT 0)
Mine is still flipped on,if indeed UC is autoimmune of which I still have a hard time believing.
But if it is my sons flipped on at 21,which they call genetic anticipation.
Yes epigenetics has been around for awhile,but now they are starting to solve how it works.
Old Mike
Anticipation
LINK
Posted 10/29/2014 10:38 PM (GMT 0)

Old Mike said...
Mine is still flipped on,if indeed UC is autoimmune of which I still have a hard time believing.
But if it is my sons flipped on at 21,which they call genetic anticipation.
Yes epigenetics has been around for awhile,but now they are starting to solve how it works.
Old Mike
Anticipation
LINK

I'd call that natural aging and DNA Degradation.
Posted 10/29/2014 11:07 PM (GMT 0)
I have been following the field of epigenetics for awhile...eat your broccoli and cruciferous veggies.
Posted 10/30/2014 4:03 PM (GMT 0)
Was reading this article again and apparently the technology to do precise edits to our DNA already exists. The article mentions CRISPR. One of the scientists wanted to see if snipping away these non-coding variants that are turning these genes on in our immune cells might stop disease. Would definitely be interesting to see. Maybe the standard of care one day becomes a bone marrow transplanted with our own "corrected" immune cells.
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