Changes in Epigenetic
DNA Functions Links Diabetes Predisposition to Alzheimer’s Disease
A. Let’s read the vocabulary needed to
understand the reading.
Diabetes /daɪəbitɪs -tiz / any of various disorders, esp. diabetes mellitus, characterized by
excretion of an abnormally large amount of urine.
Epigenetic /ɛpɪdʒɪnɛtɪk / denoting processes by which heritable modifications in gene function
occur without a change in the sequence of the DNA.
Alzheimer’s disease /æltshaɪməz / a disorder of the brain resulting in a progressive decline in
intellectual and physical abilities and eventual dementia.
Accrue /əkru /(=increase
or grow) to increase by growth or addition, esp. (of capital) to increase by
periodic addition of interest.
Onset /ɒnsɛt /an attack; assault.
Intrigue /ɪntriɡ / to make interested or curious; to make secret plots or employ
underhand methods; conspire.
Stagger /stæɡə / to walk or cause to walk unsteadily as if about to fall / to place or
arrange in alternating or overlapping positions or time periods to prevent
confusion or congestion: a staggered junction, to stagger
holidays.
Staggering /stæɡərɪŋ/Adj. impacting, astounding or
overwhelming; shocking: a
staggering increase in demand
Societal /səsaɪətəl / Adj. of or relating to society, esp. human society or social relations.
Skyrocket /skaɪrɒkɪt /(in informal) to rise rapidly, as in Price.
B. Read carefully trying to understand the
news. Don’t stop reading. Practice skimming (read in a superficial or cursory
manner, get the main ideas).
Oct. 23, 2013 — Diabetes and
dementia are rising dramatically in the United States and worldwide. In the
last few years, epidemiological data has accrued showing that older people with
diabetes are significantly more likely to develop cognitive deterioration and
increased susceptibility to onset of dementia related to Alzheimer's disease.
Now, a research team led by Giulio Maria Pasinetti, MD, PhD, the Saunders
Family Chair and Professor of Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at
Mount Sinai, discovered a novel mechanism through which this may occur. The
results are published online Oct. 23, in the journal Diabetes.
Dr.
Pasinetti(Professor of Neurology and
Neuroscience and geriatrics and Palliative Medicine) and colleagues pinpointed changes in
post-mortem brains of human subjects. They reported that gene expression was
dysfunctional in the brains of diabetic human subjects, and this increase was
associated with reduced expression of important molecules that play a critical
role in maintaining the structural integrity of brain regions associated with
learning.
Excited by this finding, Dr. Pasinetti reasoned that
if the hypothesis was correct, similar conditions should be repeated in the
laboratory by inducing diabetes in mice genetically predisposed to developing
Alzheimer's type memory deterioration. In fact, Dr. Pasinetti's laboratory
confirmed this prediction in the mouse model, supporting the hypothesis that
diabetes, through epigenetic changes in the brain, may casually promote onset
and progression of Alzheimer's disease. Epigenetic changes are chemical changes
in DNA that effect gene expression, but don't alter the actual genetic code.
"This new evidence is extremely intriguing, given
that approximately 60 percent of Alzheimer's disease patients have at least one
serious medical condition associated with diabetes," said Dr. Pasinetti.
"What this adds is much needed insight into the potential mechanism that
might explain the relationship between diabetes and Alzheimer's disease onset
and progression by mechanisms through which DNA functions."
The discovery in Dr. Pasinetti's laboratory has
staggering societal implications. More than 5 million are affected by
Alzheimer's disease dementia, and the disease incidence is expected to
skyrocket in the three decades as the population ages.
"The next question we must ask is how we can
translate this into the development of novel disease prevention and treatment
strategies," Dr. Pasinetti added. "If we can find out how DNA
epigenetic modification can be manipulated pharmacologically, these studies
will be instrumental in the formulation of novel treatments and possible
preventative strategies in Alzheimer's disease.
C. Read again and answer the following
questions. Practice scanning (find a specific information).
1.
What is happening
with Diabetes and dementia in the United States and worldwide?
___________________________________________________________________________
2.
What‘s Dr. Pasinetti’s theory?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
3.
What does this
evidence show?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
4.
According to this
discovery, how many people are affected by Alzheimer’s disease?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
5.
What would you do, as
a physician, to prevent this kind of disease?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Adapted by Isabel Janeth Del R. Lopez Mejia-Biology and Science Professor at
Alas Peruanas University.
Source: Science Daily. Changes in Epigenetic DNA Functions Links Diabetes
Predisposition to Alzheimer’s Disease [internet]. 2013 (cited Oct. 23, 2012). Available from:
No comments:
Post a Comment