Category Archives: Genetics

Genetics

Is anxiety genetic? It’s a combination of genes and your environment – Insider – INSIDER

Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental illness. In a given year, 19% of Americans experience an anxiety disorder, according to the National Association on Mental Illness (NAMI).

Among the most common are:

Scientists have long debated the importance of nature versus nurture in terms of human development and illness. We now know that genetics play a significant role in the development of anxiety. Particularly, researchers have found that genes on chromosome 9 are associated with anxiety.

But your experiences within your environment including family upbringing and major life events are also important factors. Here's what you need to know about how genes and life experiences contribute to anxiety.

You're more likely to develop an anxiety disorder if another member of your family also has an anxiety disorder.

Research has indicated that anxiety disorders have a heritability rate of 26% for lifetime occurrence. This heritability rate means that 26% of the variability in whether or not people develop anxiety is caused by genetics.

So, about one-quarter of your risk for developing anxiety is genetic. That means other factors, such as traumatic experiences or physical illnesses, can have a larger impact. And your family can still contribute to anxiety in ways other than genetics.

"Family provides both the genes and the environment. It might be genes or it may be because a family member modeled a very anxious way of being in the world or often a combination of both," says Elena Touroni, PsyD, a psychologist and co-CEO at My Online Therapy. "It can be difficult to disentangle genes and environment."

One 2018 study found that children with anxiety disorders were three times more likely than children without disorders to have at least one parent with an anxiety disorder. The connection was particularly strong for social anxiety.

The study authors suggest that in addition to genetic risk, parents "model" behavior that increases the risk of their child developing social anxiety. For example, a parent who avoids social events might unintentionally teach their child to do the same.

However, adults who were raised by parents with anxiety can mitigate their risk of developing an anxiety disorder by learning how to manage anxiety with effective stress-management techniques. If you're a parent with anxiety, the earlier you teach your kid about this, the better.

"The best thing you can do is be aware of the fact that there is a higher chance that you might be prone to anxiety yourself," Touroni says. "Make a conscious effort to learn techniques to calm the mind, such as mindfulness. Also, having psychological therapy will help you better understand the anxieties of the people in your family, and therefore what they have left you vulnerable to as a result."

You don't need to have a family member with an anxiety disorder in order to develop anxiety. A stressful or traumatic event, for example, can increase the risk of developing an anxiety disorder.

"The main underlying core belief of any anxiety disorder is an exaggerated sense of vulnerability in the world of yourself or the people you care about," Touroni says. "Fundamentally, it's about understanding whether your experiences led you to develop a belief that the world is a dangerous place."

In particular, child sexual abuse and family violence may lead to an increased risk for anxiety. Moreover, having three or more adverse childhood experiences these are somewhat traumatic events for children, ranging from divorced parents to abuse is associated with a higher likelihood of developing anxiety.

Different childhood experiences at home, school and elsewhere can help explain why some family members might develop anxiety while others don't.

For example, a 2018 study followed 49,524 twins for 25 years. The researchers found that as twins aged and their environments became more different, the influence of heritability on their chance of developing anxiety decreased. In short: even though the twins shared genetics, their risk factors for anxiety were affected more by their environment than their genes.

In the end, there's no concrete set of factors that can predict if you will develop anxiety, or not.

"Mental illness is very different to physical illness. We can't always find a concrete link because there are a lot of variables," Touroni says. "Our mental wellbeing is influenced by so many different factors, and because of that, it's difficult to isolate genetic loading from environmental influence."

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Is anxiety genetic? It's a combination of genes and your environment - Insider - INSIDER

Genetics

Episode 190: Genetics and Nazism – Jewish Journal

We all want to be the best we can be. And of course, we want to surround ourselves with the best of the best. But this seemingly positive motive has led some people to say and do some pretty horrific things throughout history.

The Greek Philosopher Plato suggested selective mating to breed a higher class of humans. In Sparta, a council of elders inspected every child to determine if he or she was fit to live. In early ancient Rome, fathers were expected to immediately kill their child if they were disabled in any way.

But its not just ancient history. In the 19th and 20th century a new system of beliefs began to emerge Eugenics. The idea that through selective breeding we can improve the genetic make-up of the human race. Sound familiar?

But where did Eugenic thought originate?

Professor Amir Teicher discusses exactly that in his new book, Social Mendelism: Genetics and the Politics of Race in Germany, 1900-1948 Professor Teicher is an assistant professor of history at the University of Tel Aviv. His research is focused on Germany, eugenics, the development of modern biological thinking, racism and antisemitism, and the history of medicine.

We are super thrilled to be joined today by Professor Amir Teicher to talk about his new book and the history of Eugenics.

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Episode 190: Genetics and Nazism - Jewish Journal

Genetics

Earth Day: The relevance of land genetics in the time of COVID-19 – CNBCTV18

April 22 is celebrated as Earth Day across the world since 1970 after a UNESCO conference in San Francisco proposed a day in honour of the mother Earth a year earlier. On this day in 2016, a landmark Paris agreement -- The draft Climate Protection Treaty -- was signed by the US, China and 120 other countries to protect the planet.

Come 2020 and we're all fighting an unexpected war. What is ironic, is that this war is being fought by sitting at home. Yes, the worldwide lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic has a majority of people on the planet indoors. The condition is likened to land genetics and part of it is neuroarchitecture, which is a discipline that studies how the physical environment surrounding us can modify our brains and consequently out behavior.

Despite making ourselves busy at homes by indulging in news and entertainment on screens, most of us are facing anxiety issues.

Like the human body, planet Earth too has its anatomy, which can be positive or become sick. So while were at home, lets make use of land science and come out of this lockdown to a healthier planet. This science is purely based on geology, geography and human behaviour. Moreover, the application of land genetics can have a positive effect of our health and lives overall. The theory of land genetics suggests changes in our lifestyle -- the way we use the planet -- which can bring about a long lasting positive change.

With over 80 percent of humans locked indoors, lets consider our homes as the universe and energise the land where we live.

Here are some dos and donts according to the importance of directions that you could practice.

Sleep with your head towards the south. The head is the heaviest part of the body and acts as the North Pole and theory of physics suggests that opposite poles attract each other, this would have a calming effect on you.

If sitting for long, face the east or north, it helps you concentrate better.

A family should sleep from west to east or south to north beginning with the eldest member. The wavelength of land is bigger for elders and smaller for younger members.

If a member of the family is unwell, keep him in the first quadrant of the house which is in the north-east direction. They should sleep facing the south. It will help them fight the diseases effectively. The north-east wavelength is the smallest of all.

While cooking, one should face the north or east. This is similar to the flow of blood within the body and the magnetic force of the Earth. It helps focus and the food turns out delicious.

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Earth Day: The relevance of land genetics in the time of COVID-19 - CNBCTV18

Genetics

Genetic variants linked with onset, progression of PAG – Ophthalmology Times

Genetic variants that are unrelated to the IOP are associated with a family history of glaucoma and play a role in the onset of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Genetic variants that are related to the IOP are associated with the age at which glaucoma is diagnosed and are associated with disease progression.

What is known about POAG, the most prevalent form of glaucoma, is that increased IOP and myopia are risk factors for damage to the optic nerve in POAG.

Related: Stent offers IOP stability more than three years after surgery

A family history of glaucoma is a major risk factor for development of POAG, in light of which, therefore, genetic factors are thought to be important in the disease pathogenesis and a few genes mutations have been identified as causing POAG, according to Fumihiko Mabuchi, MD, PhD, professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Kofu, Japan.

Myopia has been shown to be a risk factor for POAG in several studies. However, it can be difficult to diagnose true POAG in myopic patients and controversy exists over whether it is real risk factor.

Myopic optic discs are notoriously difficult to assess, and myopic patients may have visual field defects unrelated to any glaucomatous process.

The prevalence of POAG increases with age, even after compensating for the association between age and IOP.

Related: Preservative-free tafluprost/timolol lowers IOP well, glaucoma study shows

Part of the storyDr. Mabuchi and his and colleagues, recounted that these factors are only part of the story.

According to Dr. Mabuchi and his colleagues, cases of POAG caused by these gene mutations account for several percent of all POAG cases, and most POAG is presumed to be a polygenic disease.

Recent genetic analyses, the investigators explained, have reported genetic variants that predispose patients to development of POAG and the additive effect of these variants on POAG, which are classified as two types.

The first genetics variants are associated with IOP elevation.

Related: Sustained-release implant offers long-term IOP control, preserved visual function

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Genetic variants linked with onset, progression of PAG - Ophthalmology Times

Genetics

Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ:SGEN) Is In A Strong Position To Grow Its Business – Yahoo Finance

We can readily understand why investors are attracted to unprofitable companies. For example, biotech and mining exploration companies often lose money for years before finding success with a new treatment or mineral discovery. But the harsh reality is that very many loss making companies burn through all their cash and go bankrupt.

So, the natural question for Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ:SGEN) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of cash burn. In this report, we will consider the company's annual negative free cash flow, henceforth referring to it as the 'cash burn'. We'll start by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves in order to calculate its cash runway.

View our latest analysis for Seattle Genetics

A company's cash runway is calculated by dividing its cash hoard by its cash burn. When Seattle Genetics last reported its balance sheet in December 2019, it had zero debt and cash worth US$811m. In the last year, its cash burn was US$234m. That means it had a cash runway of about 3.5 years as of December 2019. Notably, however, analysts think that Seattle Genetics will break even (at a free cash flow level) before then. In that case, it may never reach the end of its cash runway. The image below shows how its cash balance has been changing over the last few years.

NasdaqGS:SGEN Historical Debt April 22nd 2020

Some investors might find it troubling that Seattle Genetics is actually increasing its cash burn, which is up 4.3% in the last year. The silver lining is that revenue was up 40%, showing the business is growing at the top line. On balance, we'd say the company is improving over time. While the past is always worth studying, it is the future that matters most of all. For that reason, it makes a lot of sense to take a look at our analyst forecasts for the company.

There's no doubt Seattle Genetics seems to be in a fairly good position, when it comes to managing its cash burn, but even if it's only hypothetical, it's always worth asking how easily it could raise more money to fund growth. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. One of the main advantages held by publicly listed companies is that they can sell shares to investors to raise cash to fund growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations.

Since it has a market capitalisation of US$24b, Seattle Genetics's US$234m in cash burn equates to about 1.0% of its market value. That means it could easily issue a few shares to fund more growth, and might well be in a position to borrow cheaply.

It may already be apparent to you that we're relatively comfortable with the way Seattle Genetics is burning through its cash. In particular, we think its cash runway stands out as evidence that the company is well on top of its spending. While its increasing cash burn wasn't great, the other factors mentioned in this article more than make up for weakness on that measure. Shareholders can take heart from the fact that analysts are forecasting it will reach breakeven. After considering a range of factors in this article, we're pretty relaxed about its cash burn, since the company seems to be in a good position to continue to fund its growth. Taking an in-depth view of risks, we've identified 2 warning signs for Seattle Genetics that you should be aware of before investing.

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Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies insiders are buying, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts)

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.

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Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ:SGEN) Is In A Strong Position To Grow Its Business - Yahoo Finance

Genetics

Lactose Intolerance Has Been In European Genetics For Thousands Of Years – IFLScience

Ancient cattle and sheep farmers from modern-day Ukraine gradually mixed with Europeans as far back as 2800 BCE, and among them was the oldest known Europeans to have genetic characteristics of lactose intolerance.

Genetic analysis and radiocarbon dating of nearly 100 ancient skeletal remains from Neolithic settlements in Switzerland is lending insight into the continents earliest inhabitants, both illuminating where they came from and how they lived, according to a new study published in Nature Communications.

Switzerlands rich archaeological record makes it a prime location to study the origins of Europeans. Neolithic settlements are found throughout Central Europe, from lakeshores and bogs to Alpine valleys and high mountain spaces. Previous studies have shown that during the Neolithic period, around the time when civilizations started to rise about 12,000 years ago, drastic changes occurred as sheep and cattle farmers arrived from the Pontic-Caspian steppe in modern Ukraine. At this time, an emergence of Corded Ware Complex (CWC) cultural groups began, groups believed to be the common ancestor of Celtic, Germanic, Baltic, and Slavic groups. But exactly when these migrants arrived in Central Europe and how they mixed with the residents at the time has largely remained a mystery.

To begin to piece the ancient puzzle together, a team of researchers from the University of Tbingen, the University of Bern, and the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History radiocarbon-dated bones from 96 ancient skeletons across 13 Neolithic and Bronze Age sites in Switzerland, southern Germany, and the Alsace region of France. Mitochondrial genomes were completely reconstructed and compared against nearly 400 genomic information held within a databank.

The researchers found that the new group arrived as early as 2800 BCE but their genetic dispersal was complex and gradual. By and large, social and family structures remained biologically the same before and after people arrived from the Pontic-Caspian steppe, suggesting that the different societies did not intermix.

"Remarkably, we identified several female individuals without any detectable steppe-related ancestry up to 1,000 years after this ancestry arrives in the region," said lead author Anja Furtwngler of the University of Tbingen's Institute for Archaeological Sciences, in a statement.

Further genetic testing and analysis of stable isotopes determined that many societies were patrilocal, meaning that the men stayed where they were born and women came from distant families yet still did not have steppe ancestry.

"Since the parents of the mobile females in our study couldn't have had steppe-related ancestry either, it remains to be shown where in Central Europe such populations were present, possibly in the Alpine mountain valleys that were less connected to the lower lands," said Johannes Krause, director of the Department of Archaeogenetics at MPI-SHH and senior author of the study.

The study also presents one of the earliest evidence of adult lactose intolerance in Europe, dating back to around 2100 BCE, a genetic mutation that is of high frequency in Europe today but is largely absent in late and middle Neolithic samples. This suggests that lactose intolerance increased in frequency at the end of the Neolithic period and increased after the beginning of the Bronze Age.

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Lactose Intolerance Has Been In European Genetics For Thousands Of Years - IFLScience

Genetics

Student Spotlight on Mika Matera-Vatnick ’21: Researching Insect Reproduction Genetics – Cornell University The Cornell Daily Sun

When Mika Matera-Vatnick 21 received President Martha E. Pollacks email in March announcing the closing of campus, her first thought was, What am I gonna do with my flies?

Matera-Vatnick, like many other undergraduate student researchers on campus, had to abandon her honors thesis research project as classes transitioned online for the remainder of the semester.

Last spring, Matera-Vatnick joined the Wolfner lab, led by Prof. Mariana Wolfner, molecular biology and genetics.

Research is the main thing Im involved with on campus. When Im not in class, Im in the lab, she said.

Currently, her research is on pause, since as of March 28, faculty and students are no longer allowed to work in laboratories, barring Matera-Vatnick access to laboratory equipment that is essential to the continuation of her research.

Matera-Vatnick is exploring the genetic basis of sperm competition in fruit flies the competitive process between sperm of two or more different males to fertilize the same egg during sexual reproduction.

Her passion for genetics started during a summer research experience at the bioethics department at the National Institutes of Health after her freshman year, where she learned about personalized medicine.

We are all unique with our own unique genomes and we need to treat patients based on their individual needs and their own genome. This is what led me to take the genetics and genetics lab courses at Cornell, she said.

Specifically, Matera-Vatnick is researching whether there are certain genes linked to mating plug ejection times.

Mating plugs are gelatinous secretions used in the mating in fruit flies and other species, including various primates such as kangaroos and reptiles. These secretions are deposited by a male into a female genital tract and later harden into a plug that glues the tract together. The plugs prevent females from re-mating, making it possible for females to store sperm.

In my experiments, Im comparing how long different strains of flies take to go through the process of mating plug ejection and seeing if there is a genetic basis and where in the gene this might come from, Matera-Vatnik said.

In fruit flies, the female expels the mating plug within five hours of mating in a process called mating plug ejection. The timing of ejection influences the paternity share of the fruit flys mates, playing an important role in mate competition.

Paris Ghazi / Sun Senior Editor

Matera-Vatnick experimenting in the Wolfner lab.

Matera-Vatnik randomly selected genetically diverse types of fruit flies to assess the time it takes for female fruit flies to undergo mating plug ejection. Mating plug ejection times can be compared to genetic variations across these specific fruit fly lines.

This comparison can reveal key genes associated with mating plug ejection, evolutionary histories of neural circuits and the role of these neuronal pathways in female sexual selection when a female chooses a male to mate with.

Understanding the process of sexual selection in insect reproduction may contribute to developing strategies for controlling pests and disease vectors in agriculture and public health.

Matera-Vatnick spent last summer at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City learning about computational biology, which is the analysis of biological data through computer simulated models. In contrast to the work she did at WCM, Matera-Vatnick typically conducts her research on fruit flies in a wet lab. A wet lab is a lab where experiments are conducted and chemicals are handled, whereas in a dry lab, data is analyzed with computers and other technology.

Not much is known about the genetic basis that underlies the variations in mating plug ejection timing, but Matera-Vatnik is determined to find out.

I learned so much about how computational tools can be used to answer biological questions that are impossible to answer in a wet lab. I think that combining wet lab and computational power together will bring a unique angle to the questions Im interested in answering, she said.

Though research on campus has been put on hold, Matera-Vatnick is hopeful she can finish this project as her honors thesis.

This is the project that will be my senior thesis project. With all the uncertainty of being here, and hopefully the plan is to stay here over the summer, I want to take this project as far as I can before I graduate, Matera-Vatnick said.

Matera-Vatnick is currently in her hometown Washington, D.C. While she is unable to continue her research at the Wolfner Lab, she still attends weekly lab meetings and will be drafting sections of her honors thesis for the rest of the semester. She plans on taking the MCAT at the end of summer, if permitted.

In the meantime, Matera-Vatnick hopes to make the most of her Cornell research experience, upon her return to campus.

Im trying to take as much as I can from campus, Matera-Vatnick said. Thanks to amazing mentorship from my [Principal Investigator], graduate students and other students in the lab, I can say Im very lucky with who Ive surrounded myself with on campus.

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Student Spotlight on Mika Matera-Vatnick '21: Researching Insect Reproduction Genetics - Cornell University The Cornell Daily Sun

Genetics

Genetics and Family – The Good Men Project

We were all born with things. Our DNA greatly shapes some things we are (and arent) and what we can and cannot easily do.

Our upbringing shapes this further.

Nature and nurture shape who we are and what we can most easily become. Yes, we can do amazing things in spite of our circumstances.

At the same time, we have to be fair to ourselves. It may be that our genetics and upbringing created trauma, or a lagging skill that we have very little control over.

Just like we would not expect someone in a wheelchair to immediately run a marathon, we should not expect ourselves (or others) to magically overcome something we were born with.

Sorry to talk about limitations, and this is about being kind to yourself (and others) and realizing that you might need more support than you think.

When something that makes you mad or frustrated happens, can you really think straight? Be honest. Chemically, this is next to impossible.

For those with ADHD, depression, anxiety, PTSD and the like, its very difficult to not find yourself in a state of complete clarity and resources. To some extent, you do not have full brain function of a calm, creative, resourceful state without lots of work.

Part of that is a regulation of the ECD system. There are many therapies, supplements and suggestions on how to boost that. This, along with appropriate mental health and exercise can greatly elevate your mood and life.

You dont have to be stuck, sad, or frustrated. You deserve a full and happy life.

Previously published on medium

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Genetics and Family - The Good Men Project

Genetics

Genetics Prof: Greece to Play Key Role in COVID-19 Research and Diagnosis – The National Herald

By ANA April 17, 2020

FILE - In this April 2, 2020, file photo a nurse holds a vial and a swab at a drive-up coronavirus testing station at a hospital in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

ATHENS Greek pioneering study that turns the country into a key player on the international scientific stage will be shortly applied to 3,500 patients and in ten laboratories aiming at the better genetic understanding as well as in the battle against SARS-CoV-2, stated to Athens-Macedonian News Agency, the president of the National Council for Research, Technology and Innovation, professor of Genetics at the school of Medicine of the University of Geneva and director of the Genomics Centre Health 2030 Emmanouil Dermitzakis.

Professor Dermitzakis is one of the two persons that chose Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to head a very important Greek research effort that was announced on Tuesday. The genetics profile of 3,500 persons will be examined as well as the variations of the virus that have infected them along with their immune profile in order to better understand the characteristics of the virus and the biological procedures that constitute the main reason for the differences in the diseases progress among patients, said the professor.

The knowhow acquired from this programme will allow Greece to proceed to similar actions on other infectious diseases as the seasonal influenza and will allow the improvement of the management of pandemics or localised epidemics.

The professor also said that the possibility of a new medicine may increase 4 to 10 times when its development procedure is supported by genetic data.

Asked on the next day and on the possibility of the long-term active presence of the virus Dermitzakis said if we do not have a vaccine or a medicine for the virus, we must address it with measures and attitudes. Any measures will be complex and based on contamination calculations (R0) as well as on the effect of sub-measures and on this basis the citizens should, blindly trust the scientists.

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Genetics Prof: Greece to Play Key Role in COVID-19 Research and Diagnosis - The National Herald

Genetics

Genetics Institute of America is Selected by Designer Genomics International as IRB Approved Laboratory for Inflammasome Study – Yahoo Finance

Study to Look at DNA, mRNA and miRNA

IRB Approved Clinical Study

Seeks to identify Inflammation Indicators

Designer Genomics International, a Contract Research Organization (CRO) announced today that it has selected Genetics Institute of America as the Institutional Review Board approved testing laboratory for a new clinical study into inflammasome activation.

"My long experience with the management team of the laboratory made them the logical choice as genomics laboratory," said Marvin Hausman, MD, the study principal investigator at Designer Genomics International.

"Our experience in working with DNA and RNA, as well as our collaborative relationship with ThermoFischer Scientific, make for a great combination for this study," said Holly Magliochetti, CEO of Genetics Institute of America.

Genetics Institute of America will be running DNA, RNA, mRNA and miRNA studies on buccal swab specimens. The study of currently available cancer genomic and pharmacogenomic DNA profiles combined with newly designed proprietary mRNA and miRNA panels will allow leveraging newly developed machine learning and deep learning methods for genetic analysis. The study (GH-101 Genetic Susceptibility to Chronic Disease) is designed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with development of chronic diseases such as Cardiovascular Disease, End Stage Renal Disease, PTSD, as well as Cancer.

For more information about this study, please contact Designer Genomics International or Genetics Institute of America.

About Genetics Institute of AmericaGenetics Institute of America is a national laboratory dedicated to heightening the awareness of early intervention and genetic screening to promote longevity and quality of life outcomes by focusing on DNA, RNA and Proteins. Our modern CLIA laboratory facility in Delray Beach, FL contains the most current technology, allowing us to provide leadership in both research and clinical laboratory testing. For more information, please visit http://www.GenLabUS.com/.

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About Designer Genomics InternationalDesigner Genomics International is a Contract Research Organization that focuses on conducting clinical trials for Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology, and Companion Diagnostics companies. Designer Genomics International is headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005768/en/

Contacts

Holly Magliochettimedia@GenLabUS.com

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Genetics Institute of America is Selected by Designer Genomics International as IRB Approved Laboratory for Inflammasome Study - Yahoo Finance