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The genetics of back pain
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News & Comment
TRENDS in Molecular Medicine Vol.7 No.6 June 2001
In Brief
UK Government prepares for genetics revolution In a major speech in April, UK Secretary of Health Alan Milburn announced measures to bring the National Health Service (NHS) bang up to date with regards to the recent glut of genetic information that has resulted from the completion of the human genome. In doing so, Milburn also quashed the anxieties of millions, by announcing that legislation would be brought forward to fully outlaw human reproductive cloning, and to place a moratorium on the use of genetic tests by insurance firms. A five-point plan was unveiled for the NHS, which included massive increases in the number of staff working as specialist genetic consultants, genetic counsellors and technicians. Furthermore, two new national laboratories will be set up, specialising in the treatment of rare genetic disorders. In a rousing speech, Milburn gushed that ‘Genetic advances can be a force for good… The genetics revolution has already begun. It is time we as a nation started preparing today for the opportunities of tomorrow.’ AR
The genetics of back pain A Finnish study has identified a gene linked to lower back pain, or lumbar disk disease (LLD). Physicians from the University of Oulu (Finland) analyzed blood samples from 171 LDD patients and searched for mutations in genes encoding the three chains of the extracellular matrix component collagen IX. They found that a mutation in the COL9A3 gene occurred with a frequency of 12.2% in LDD patients, compared with 4.7% in normal controls. LDD is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders, affecting up to 5% of the population. Screening for alleles of the structural collagen genes could help clinicians identify individuals at risk of developing LLD. JW
Viral link to schizophrenia Unexpectedly high levels of retroviral RNA have been detected in the cerebrospinal fluid of people suffering from schizophrenia, according to a recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Robert Yolken and colleagues (John Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA) also detected the viral RNA in samples taken from post-mortem
brains of schizophrenic patients. Control samples from normal individuals contained no trace of the pathogen. The RNA detected was produced by HERV-W, an endogenous retrovirus. The authors speculate that reactivation of these latent components of the human genome might contribute to the pathology of schizophrenia. If this theory is proven, it could lead to new strategies for the treatment of this neurological condition. PoN
NASA–NCI collaboration
has been granted funding by the National Foundation for Cancer Research (USA). The work follows on from a previous study in which men diagnosed with prostate cancer were instructed to eat tomato sauce daily for three weeks. This experiment revealed that lycopene was readily absorbed into the prostate and was associated with reduced levels of prostate-specific antigen and DNA damage. In the new study, men with prostate cancer will be given lycopene pills rather than tomato sauce. It is hoped that such research will lead to new treatment strategies for this disease that can often lead to castration or death. $300 000 has been awarded to Phyllis Bowen from the University of Illinois (Chicago, USA) to perform the research. PoN
A handle on latent HIV
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has announced a collaborative initiative with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the joint support of biomedical and technology research. The NASA–NCI Fundamental Technologies for the Development of Biomolecular Sensors program aims to support innovative projects that fall outside the traditional funding mechanisms. The initiative, which will have $80 million to spend over the next four years, is motivated by the joint need to develop biomolecular sensors that will be useful for long duration space flight, as well as cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment. NCI hopes that such systems will lead to earlier, non-invasive cancer detection based on fundamental molecular changes associated with specific disease pathways. NASA expects the project will result in improved healthcaremonitoring for space missions beyond Earth orbit. The two agencies are confident that their shared vision ‘will revolutionize the practice of medicine on Earth and in space’. JW
Funding for ketchup research A research project investigating the potential benefits of lycopene – a substance found in tomato sauce – in cases of prostate cancer
A major hindrance to effective drug treatment against HIV has been the virus’ ability to remain dormant for long periods of time. This allows the virus to avoid anti-AIDS drugs and become virulent years after the initial infection. The study of latent HIV has proven difficult however, chiefly because of the paucity of cells harbouring ‘hidden’ virus. A research team led by Jerome Zack (UCLA, CA, USA) has used an immunodeficient (SCID) mouse model, transplanted with human thymus cells to address this problem. This model mimics normal human thymopoiesis and by doing so produces large numbers of quiescent T cells. When the transplanted thymus was infected with HIV, as many as 20% of cultured T cells contained latent retrovirus. It is believed this mouse model will also be of great benefit in evaluating the effectiveness of new therapies directed against dormant HIV. Zack’s work is published in the March issue of Nature Medicine. PoN
Synergy within grapes The occasional glass of red wine or purple grape juice has been shown to have beneficial effects on platelet aggregation, endothelial function, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation in humans. Scientists attempting to dissect the precise components of the grape products responsible have discovered that grape skin extract, or grape seed extract, are both relatively ineffective at preventing platelet aggregation.Only when administered
http://tmm.trends.com 1471-4914/01/$ – see front matter © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
News & Comment
TRENDS in Molecular Medicine Vol.7 No.6 June 2001
In Brief
UK Government prepares for genetics revolution In a major speech in April, UK Secretary of Health Alan Milburn announced measures to bring the National Health Service (NHS) bang up to date with regards to the recent glut of genetic information that has resulted from the completion of the human genome. In doing so, Milburn also quashed the anxieties of millions, by announcing that legislation would be brought forward to fully outlaw human reproductive cloning, and to place a moratorium on the use of genetic tests by insurance firms. A five-point plan was unveiled for the NHS, which included massive increases in the number of staff working as specialist genetic consultants, genetic counsellors and technicians. Furthermore, two new national laboratories will be set up, specialising in the treatment of rare genetic disorders. In a rousing speech, Milburn gushed that ‘Genetic advances can be a force for good… The genetics revolution has already begun. It is time we as a nation started preparing today for the opportunities of tomorrow.’ AR
The genetics of back pain A Finnish study has identified a gene linked to lower back pain, or lumbar disk disease (LLD). Physicians from the University of Oulu (Finland) analyzed blood samples from 171 LDD patients and searched for mutations in genes encoding the three chains of the extracellular matrix component collagen IX. They found that a mutation in the COL9A3 gene occurred with a frequency of 12.2% in LDD patients, compared with 4.7% in normal controls. LDD is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders, affecting up to 5% of the population. Screening for alleles of the structural collagen genes could help clinicians identify individuals at risk of developing LLD. JW
Viral link to schizophrenia Unexpectedly high levels of retroviral RNA have been detected in the cerebrospinal fluid of people suffering from schizophrenia, according to a recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Robert Yolken and colleagues (John Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA) also detected the viral RNA in samples taken from post-mortem
brains of schizophrenic patients. Control samples from normal individuals contained no trace of the pathogen. The RNA detected was produced by HERV-W, an endogenous retrovirus. The authors speculate that reactivation of these latent components of the human genome might contribute to the pathology of schizophrenia. If this theory is proven, it could lead to new strategies for the treatment of this neurological condition. PoN
NASA–NCI collaboration
has been granted funding by the National Foundation for Cancer Research (USA). The work follows on from a previous study in which men diagnosed with prostate cancer were instructed to eat tomato sauce daily for three weeks. This experiment revealed that lycopene was readily absorbed into the prostate and was associated with reduced levels of prostate-specific antigen and DNA damage. In the new study, men with prostate cancer will be given lycopene pills rather than tomato sauce. It is hoped that such research will lead to new treatment strategies for this disease that can often lead to castration or death. $300 000 has been awarded to Phyllis Bowen from the University of Illinois (Chicago, USA) to perform the research. PoN
A handle on latent HIV
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has announced a collaborative initiative with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the joint support of biomedical and technology research. The NASA–NCI Fundamental Technologies for the Development of Biomolecular Sensors program aims to support innovative projects that fall outside the traditional funding mechanisms. The initiative, which will have $80 million to spend over the next four years, is motivated by the joint need to develop biomolecular sensors that will be useful for long duration space flight, as well as cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment. NCI hopes that such systems will lead to earlier, non-invasive cancer detection based on fundamental molecular changes associated with specific disease pathways. NASA expects the project will result in improved healthcaremonitoring for space missions beyond Earth orbit. The two agencies are confident that their shared vision ‘will revolutionize the practice of medicine on Earth and in space’. JW
Funding for ketchup research A research project investigating the potential benefits of lycopene – a substance found in tomato sauce – in cases of prostate cancer
A major hindrance to effective drug treatment against HIV has been the virus’ ability to remain dormant for long periods of time. This allows the virus to avoid anti-AIDS drugs and become virulent years after the initial infection. The study of latent HIV has proven difficult however, chiefly because of the paucity of cells harbouring ‘hidden’ virus. A research team led by Jerome Zack (UCLA, CA, USA) has used an immunodeficient (SCID) mouse model, transplanted with human thymus cells to address this problem. This model mimics normal human thymopoiesis and by doing so produces large numbers of quiescent T cells. When the transplanted thymus was infected with HIV, as many as 20% of cultured T cells contained latent retrovirus. It is believed this mouse model will also be of great benefit in evaluating the effectiveness of new therapies directed against dormant HIV. Zack’s work is published in the March issue of Nature Medicine. PoN
Synergy within grapes The occasional glass of red wine or purple grape juice has been shown to have beneficial effects on platelet aggregation, endothelial function, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation in humans. Scientists attempting to dissect the precise components of the grape products responsible have discovered that grape skin extract, or grape seed extract, are both relatively ineffective at preventing platelet aggregation.Only when administered
http://tmm.trends.com 1471-4914/01/$ – see front matter © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.