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Fine Particulate (PM2.5) Exposure Negatively Impacts Hallmarks Of Aging: What’s Optimal?

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Association between carbohydrate intake and the risk of psoriasis: a prospective cohort study based on UK Biobank

Research on the association between carbohydrate intake and psoriasis risk is limited. We aimed to examine the associations of carbohydrate and its different subtypes with psoriasis risk, as well as the interaction between genetic predisposition and carbohydrate intake.

We performed a prospective cohort study based on UK Biobank that included 210,474 participants who did not have psoriasis at baseline. A 24-hour dietary assessment tool was used to assess detailed dietary intake information. Incident psoriasis events were identified through hospitalization records. The association between carbohydrate intake and psoriasis was examined by Cox proportional hazard regression models. Multiplicative interaction between genetic risk and carbohydrate intake was assessed by incorporating a cross-product term in the model.

A total of 1907 incident psoriasis events were recorded during the follow-up period (median: 13.25 years). Compared to the lowest intake quartile (Q1), the highest intake quartile (Q4) of total sugars

FDR-Ptrend = 0.116], free sugars [1.22 (1.07–1.38), 0.021], and sucrose [1.14 (1.01–1.30), 0.058] was associated with an increased psoriasis risk. In contrast, the highest intake of starch [0.86 (0.76–0.98), 0.049] and fiber [0.84 (0.74–0.96), 0.021] showed an inverse association with psoriasis risk. However, there was no statistically significant interaction between carbohydrate intake and genetic risk.

New Cas9 Enzymes Improve the Accuracy of CRISPR Prime Editing

The CRISPR gene editing system holds tremendous promise. It has already revolutionized biomedical research by making gene editing a straightforward process. It involves using a guide RNA molecule that has a unique sequence, which matches with a target location in genomic DNA. This guide RNA brings an enzyme called Cas9 to that genetic location, where Cas9 makes a cut in the DNA. Scientists have been modifying and improving on the CRISPR technique since it was created. Many of those improvements are related to the Cas9 enzyme, and ensuring that it makes the proper cut in the correct place.

Restoring order to dividing cancer cells may halt triple negative breast cancer spread

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive and hardest forms of breast cancer to treat, but a new study led by Weill Cornell Medicine suggests a surprising way to stop it from spreading. Researchers have discovered that an enzyme called EZH2 drives TNBC cells to divide abnormally, which enables them to relocate to distant organs. The preclinical study also found drugs that block EZH2 could restore order to dividing cells and thwart the spread of TNBC cells.

“Metastasis is the main reason patients with triple negative breast cancer face poor survival odds,” said senior author Dr. Vivek Mittal, Ford-Isom Research Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery and member of the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine. “Our study suggests a new therapeutic approach to block metastasis before it starts and help patients overcome this deadly cancer.”

The findings, published Oct. 2 in Cancer Discovery, challenge the popular notion that cancer treatments should boost cell division errors already occurring in beyond the breaking point to induce cell death. When normal cells divide, the chromosomes—DNA “packages” carrying genes—are duplicated and split evenly into two daughter cells. This process goes haywire in many cancer cells, leading to chromosomal instability: too many, too few, or jumbled chromosomes in multiple daughter cells.

Ancient viral DNA is essential for human embryo development, study shows

Our ancient past isn’t always buried history. When it comes to our DNA, nearly 9% of the human genome is made up of leftover genetic material from ancient viruses (called endogenous retroviruses or ERVs) that infected our ancestors millions of years ago and became permanently integrated into our genetic code. In a new study published in the journal Nature, scientists have demonstrated that one piece of this viral junk is essential for the earliest stages of human life.

Genetic and behavioral links found between musical rhythm perception and developmental language disorders

In a paper published in Nature Communications, researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery leveraged two main studies—one focused on behavior and one focused on genetics—to highlight the correlation between participants’ musical rhythm abilities and developmental speech-language disorders.

These disorders include , dyslexia and stuttering, among others.

Evidence showed that deficiency in musical perception is a “modest but consistent risk factor for developmental speech, language and reading disorders,” according to the study’s lead author, Srishti Nayak, Ph.D., assistant professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

Experiment explores contribution of neural, epigenetic and behavioral factors to autism spectrum disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is estimated to be experienced by roughly 1 in 127 people worldwide. It is characterized by atypical patterns in brain development, which manifest in differences in communication, social interactions, behavior and responses to sensory information.

Past neuroscientific and suggest that a variety of factors contribute to the development of ASD. These can include , chemical alterations that influence the expressions of genes (i.e., epigenetic factors), differences in the structure of specific or neural circuits, and environmental factors, such as early life events or infections or immune responses during pregnancy.

Researchers at the Korea Brain Research Institute and University of Fukui in Japan recently carried out a study aimed at further exploring these different dimensions of ASD, focusing on , the communication between brain regions, epigenetic changes and behavioral patterns. Their findings, published in Translational Psychiatry, paint a clearer picture of the intricate underpinnings of the disorder and could inform the development of more precise tools for diagnosing it.

Autism should not be seen as single condition with one cause, say scientists

Autism should not be viewed as a single condition with a unified underlying cause, according to scientists who found that those diagnosed early in childhood typically have a distinct genetic profile to those diagnosed later.

The international study, based on genetic data from more than 45,000 autistic people in Europe and the US, showed that those diagnosed in early childhood, typically before six years old, were more likely to show behavioural difficulties from early childhood, including problems with social interaction, but remain stable.

Those diagnosed with autism later, typically after the age of 10, were more likely to experience increasing social and behavioural difficulties during adolescence and also had an increased likelihood of mental health conditions such as depression.

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