Vitamin D is a steering hormone that controls the expression over a thousand different genes in your body. The primary source of Vitamin D is UV- Radiation, our skin can make Vitamin D upon exposure to UV Radiation. Though we are not the only one with this ability. Mushroom also has an ability to makeContinue reading “Vitamin D lengthens Telomeres, an aging marker”
Tag Archives: DNA
CRISPR-Cas9 Allows Further Genetic Manipulation By Exploiting Endogenous DNA Repair Mechanisms
How diet can change your epigenome and affect cancer and chromatin of DNA
When you look at yourself in the mirror you may ask, ‘How, given that all the cells in my body carry the same DNA, can my organs look so unlike and function so differently?’ With the recent progress in epigenetics, we are beginning to understand. We now know that cells use their genetic material in different ways: genes are switched on and off, resulting in the astonishing level of differentiation within our bodies.
Epigenetics describes the cellular processes that determine whether a certain gene will be transcribed and translated into its corresponding protein. The message can be conveyed through small and reversible chemical modifications to chromatin (figure 1). For example, the addition of acetyl groups (acetylation) to DNA scaffold proteins (histones) enhances transcription. In contrast, the addition of methyl groups (methylation) to some regulatory regions of the DNA itself reduces gene transcription. These modifications, together with other regulatory mechanisms, are particularly important during development – when the exact timing of gene activation is crucial to ensure accurate cellular differentiation – but continue to have an effect into adulthood.
UC biologists find link between paternal diet and offspring’s health
Predictive genetic testing may upend the insurance market
Predictive genetic testing may upend the insurance market, The Economist writes, as insurers about adverse selection and consumers worry about discrimination. Consumers can now on their own order genetic tests that inform them of their risk of developing certain diseases. Health tests can gauges customer’s chances of developing diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Email motherhealth@gmail.com for DNAContinue reading “Predictive genetic testing may upend the insurance market”
$25k vs $2.5k health screen with health coaching
You as health consumer must be empowered to know the latest in health screens from EXOME/whole DNA test, gut microbiome test and whole blood panel tests. Together with your doctor, results of these health screens can help clear your path towards keeping your mind and body strong and healthy. Motherhealth will soon launch an integratedContinue reading “$25k vs $2.5k health screen with health coaching”
Resveratrol and calorie restriction activates SIRT1 , anti-aging gene
When the SIRT1 gene is activated, it produces proteins that protect cells from inflammation and oxidative stress, two of the primary causes of premature aging and many degenerative diseases. Almost all organisms have a gene that is equivalent to SIRT1. The gene is a defense mechanism, activated by low calorie consumption, that gives cells anContinue reading “Resveratrol and calorie restriction activates SIRT1 , anti-aging gene”
Energy and Anatomy = Cancer and aging
Two types of people Tightly coupled: Only needs to eat less to arrive at required energy level Loosely coupled: Needs to eat more to arrive at required energy level Sun energy and glucose for energy production Nucleus is energy limited Mitochondrial DNA crosstalk: 10% changes in mtDNA has a greater effect in epigenetic expression Continue reading “Energy and Anatomy = Cancer and aging”
What have been the advantages of humans acquiring Neanderthal genes?
What makes the inherited genetic material beneficial? When Neanderthal ancestors left Africa roughly 100,000 years earlier they adapted to the pathogens in their European environment, unlike modern humans who adapted to African pathogens. This transcontinental movement is known as the Out of Africa model. If contact between humans and Neanderthals occurred in Europe and AsiaContinue reading “What have been the advantages of humans acquiring Neanderthal genes?”
A DNA Ultra-sensitive test for cancers, HIV
Catching a disease in its earliest stages can lead to more effective therapies. Stanford chemists have increased the likelihood of detecting these diseases via a test that is thousands of times more sensitive than current diagnostics. BY BJORN CAREY A common theme in medicine is that detecting a disease early on can lead to moreContinue reading “A DNA Ultra-sensitive test for cancers, HIV”
Molecular cancer screen at a distance
Molecular biomarkers are independent of the presence of a detectable tumor mass or even the detection of intact transformed cells. Instead, they represent detection at a distance, using molecular signals in blood or excretia to indicate the presence of a cancer or pre-invasive lesion. These molecular biomarkers fall into four groups (Table 1). Some areContinue reading “Molecular cancer screen at a distance”
Smoking leads to disease-causing DNA damage lasting 30years
ADAM GAULT VIA GETTY IMAGESA new study has found that cigarette smoking damages users’ DNA, with its effects seen more than 30 years after they quit. Here’s one more reason to kick your smoking habit: A new study has found that cigarette smoking leads to disease-causing DNA damage that can last more than 30 years afterContinue reading “Smoking leads to disease-causing DNA damage lasting 30years”
DNA changes predict longevity
By Harrison Wein, Ph.D. Certain DNA changes can better predict a person’s life expectancy than traditional risk factors such as age. The findings could lead to novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of aging and new ways to evaluate methods for slowing the rate of aging. “Epigenetic age” might represent a person’s biological age moreContinue reading “DNA changes predict longevity”
Second generation noninvasive fetal genome analysis reveals de novo mutations, single-base parental inheritance, and preferred DNA ends
A group of scientists at the Chinese University of Hong Kong explored the limit of noninvasive prenatal testing by performing genome-wide sequencing of maternal plasma DNA at 195× and 270× haploid genome coverages. Combined with the use of a series of bioinformatics filters, fetal de novo mutations could be detected with a positive predictive value thatContinue reading “Second generation noninvasive fetal genome analysis reveals de novo mutations, single-base parental inheritance, and preferred DNA ends”