As elite athletes demonstrate, some people seem to get more out of physical activity and intense exercise more than others. In a group of 24 men, high responders who improved their peak rate of oxgen consumption after six weeks of high-intensity aerobic cycle training had as much as a 900 percent increase in muscle tissue gene activity. Low responders, however, neither improved their oxygen consumption nor had altered gene expression.
“Aerobic training activates them to enhance oxygen delivery to the muscles,” explained James Timmons, lead author of the study. “Aerobic exercise kick-starts these genes to do their job. Otherwise …read more

Earlier this month when London experienced the first series of bombings on their subway and bus systems, I wrote a post about terrorists and the kinds of genes they might have that makes them different from the rest of us (see Terrorism Genes). It was all conjecture, of course, wondering if people who are able to go so far as to become suicide bombers need an extra push from risk-taking or anti-social behavior genes in addition to indoctrination. Studying the DNA of terrorists hasn’t been far from the minds of government officials, although for different purposes.
In …read more

Question: How many chromosomes do humans have? (One person, not all of humanity.)
a. 10
b. 23
c. 46
d. 2200
e. 25,000
Answer: c. 46 chromosomes or 23 pairs.
Of the 46 chromosomes, two are sex chromosomes – XX in women and XY in men. All somatic cells have the full complement of 46 chromosomes except for germ cells (sperm and eggs) which have 23 chromosomes. We get one set of 23 chromosomes each from our mother and father. When a sperm and egg fuse at fertilization, the resulting embryo has the full set of 46 chromosomes (barring any …read more

DNA, genes, and protein are invisible to the naked eye. Trying to visualize how they work in 3D is one of the greatest challenges to understanding how the molecular parts of our body fit together. Ecce Homology, on display at SIGGRAPH 2005 in Southern California, takes DNA sequences and turns them into interactive 40-foot wide and 12-foot tall images. (Medical News Today, July 21, 2005)
The coolest part of the exhibit is the chance to “draw” shapes that are then matched to existing genes and DNA similar to the way scientists use the online algorithm, BLAST, to match …read more

Before genomic technology became commonplace in laboratories, most public health researchers relied on questionnaires to collect information on risk factors related to disease. Now, no study of disease is complete without a bank of DNA from study participants. Recently, one of the first studies of asthma and allergy to include genetic information has found an interesting link between brain cancer risk and cytokine genes involved in asthma and allergies. (Medical News Today, July 17, 2005)
Researchers found that people with specific polymorphisms on two genes associated with higher risk of asthma and allergies, IL-4RA and IL-13, had a lower …read more

A new gene for autism has been identified on chromosome 16. The PRKCB1 gene is found in the brain and the protein it encodes appears to be involved in the communication of granule cells in the brain cerebellum with Purkinje cells; both granule and Purkinje cells transmit messages in and out of the brain. Researchers are touting the potential of genetic tests for autism based on these limited results.* (BBC News, July 19, 2005)
Autism is one of the least understood neurological diseases. It’s still unclear which specific environmental factors cause the complex of symptoms that comprises autism and to …read more

The Early Baby Gender Mentor
Home DNA Test Kit
Unlike my parents’ generation who didn’t know their baby’s gender until he or she was born, this generation has the benefit of finding out via a variety of ways before D-day – ultrasound around week 16 of a pregnancy or amniocentesis at three or four months. The Baby Gender Mentor home test kit manufactured by Mommy’s Thinkin’ is looking to make it even easier for expecting parents to find out if their baby will be a boy or girl. (The Boston Globe, June 27, 2005)
For $275, pregnant women can find …read more

In response to my Terrorism Genes post last week, a reader wrote, “For God’s sake. You can’t use genetics to explain everything.” And I thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if I could?”
We all have DNA. From prehistoric fossils (geobiology) to bacteria to plants to animals to humans, DNA is what ties us together as living beings. There is nothing else that we all share and the similarities in our DNA are often astounding.
Humans come in all shapes and sizes. Some have more money, more education, and more opportunities. Others have more love, more friends, and …read more

When I started this blog a few months ago, I debated between calling it the “Public Health Genetics Blog” or the “Genetics and Public Health Blog.” Most academic programs, such as the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and institutions, such as the Public Health Genetics Unit, describe the intersection between public health and genetics as “public health genetics.” I’ve wondered many times whether I made a mistake naming this blog.
I suspect that “public health genetics” has become the key phrase because it’s easier to say “public health geneticist” rather than “genetic public health practitioner.” In …read more

If anything is a public health concern, terrorism is. It affects everyone psychologically and many others physically, both directly and indirectly. The explosions in London yesterday (July 7, 2005) were not the first nor will they be the last acts of terrorism we experience. What kind of depraved sicko would commit such a heinous crime?
I’d like to think that I have nothing in common with terrorists and criminals. Still, they have DNA just like the rest of us. If there are risk-taking genes and genes for psycho-social behavior, then they must have a disproportionately high …read more