A clinical trial led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has shown that a T cell immunotherapy—in which the patients’ own T cells are genetically modified to attack and kill cancer cells—is effective in treating some patients with rare cancers of the body’s soft tissues.
“The increases in THC levels found in cannabis could mimic some of the more pronounced effects that we see for people who are slower metabolizers,” said Dr. Christal Davis.
How can genetics influence cannabis consumption? This is what a recent study published in Addictive Behaviors hopes to address as a team of researchers investigated a link between how genetic variances influence how a person metabolizes THC, which could not only determine future use but also the chances of succumbing to cannabis use disorder, or CUD. This study holds the potential to help cannabis users, medical professionals, legislators, and the public better understand the physiological influences of cannabis use, even at the molecular level.
For the study, the researchers enlisted 54 participants between 18–25 years of age, 38 of whom suffered from CUD while the remaining 16 suffered from non-CUD substance abuse. It has been determined that individuals aged 18–25 have a three times greater likelihood of having CUD compared to individuals over the age of 26. After obtaining blood samples from each participant, the researchers tested them for differences in gene markers, specifically pertaining to THC-metabolizing enzymes. Additionally, each participant was instructed to fill out a questionnaire regarding their experiences with cannabis use and how it makes them feel when they use it.
In the end, the researchers found notable differences between men and women participants, specifically regarding how young women with CUD were found to metabolize THC at slower rates than young women who did not suffer from CUD. For the men, the researchers discovered negative reports from cannabis use with those who also metabolized THC at slower rates, which was the same for both sexes. Additionally, the researchers’ found CUD was more prevalent in individuals who started using cannabis when teenagers, as well. The researchers concluded that proper treatment options for CUD could be proposed due to lack of genetic testing.
Whether through genetics or training, scientists say, even mere mortals can develop extraordinary abilities.
In a groundbreaking study led by Dr. Karen Fitzgerald, six women between the ages of 45 and 65 experienced a remarkable reduction in their biological age by an average of five years in just eight weeks. The findings offer promising insights into the potential of lifestyle changes to combat aging.
The study, which focused on the distinction between chronological age and biological age, revealed that while chronological age remains fixed, biological age — the age of one’s cells — can be influenced and even reversed through targeted interventions.
Using Dr. Steven Horvath’s epigenetic clock, which measures 353 markers associated with methylation changes linked to aging, the researchers assessed the participants’ biological age before and after the intervention.
Everyone has BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, but mutations in these genes—which can be inherited—increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
The study found that the immune cells in breast tissue of healthy women carrying BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations show signs of malfunction known as exhaustion. This suggests that the immune cells can’t clear out damaged breast cells, which can eventually develop into breast cancer.
This is the first time that exhausted immune cells have been reported in non-cancerous breast tissues at such scale—normally these cells are only found in late-stage tumors. The results raise the possibility of using existing immunotherapy drugs as early intervention to prevent breast cancer developing, in carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations.
The gene-editing technique CRISPR disabled HIV that lay dormant in immune cells in a lab experiment, raising hopes for an eventual cure.
By Clare Wilson
Groundbreaking research has led to the creation of threofuranosyl nucleic acid (TNA), offering enhanced stability and therapeutic potential, with applications in drug delivery and diagnostics.
The DNA carries the genetic information of all living organisms and consists of only four different building blocks, the nucleotides. Nucleotides are composed of three distinctive parts: a sugar molecule, a phosphate group, and one of the four nucleobases adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine. The nucleotides are lined up millions of times and form the DNA double helix, similar to a spiral staircase.
Breakthrough in Nucleic Acid Research.
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have recovered remarkably preserved microbiomes from two teeth dating back 4,000 years, found in an Irish limestone cave. Genetic analyses of these microbiomes reveal major changes in the oral microenvironment from the Bronze Age to today. The teeth both belonged to the same male individual and also provided a snapshot of his oral health.