gene mutations tagged posts

The ‘Guardian of the Genome’ Protects against Cardiovascular Disease

The 'guardian of the genome' protects against cardiovascular disease
The analysis of human samples and animal experiments demonstrate that the presence of p53 gene mutations in the blood increases the risk of developing atherosclerosis, the principle cause of cardiovascular disease. Credit: CNIC

A team at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), working in collaboration with institutes in the U.S., has demonstrated that acquired mutations in the gene encoding the protein p53 contribute to the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Known as the “guardian of the genome,” p53 helps to maintain the integrity of the hereditary material inside cells by regulating multiple cell functions in response to cellular stresses.

Every day, an adult person generates hundreds of thousands of blood cells...

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Research confirms Gut-brain Connection in Autism

An image showing neurons in the gut of a mouse with the autism-related gene mutation. The study found mice with the mutation had more neurons in the small intestine.
An image showing neurons in the gut of a mouse with the autism-related gene mutation. The study found mice with the mutation had more neurons in the small intestine.

Up to 90% of people with autism suffer from gut problems, but nobody has known why. New research reveals the same gene mutations – found both in the brain and the gut – could be the cause.

The discovery confirms a gut-brain nervous system link in autism, opening a new direction in the search for potential treatments that could ease behavioural issues associated with autism by targeting the gut.

Chief Investigator Associate Professor Elisa Hill-Yardin, RMIT University, said scientists trying to understand autism have long been looking in the brain, but the links with the gut nervous system have only been recently ex...

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