 |
|
Stress could damage DNA
August 23, 2004A ground-breaking experiment has suggested that a certain type of stress could actually damage humans' DNA.
Dr Yori Gidron of the University of Southampton and colleagues will reveal the results of their experiment, thought to be the first to test if psychological stress can induce DNA damage in humans, today, Thursday 2 September 2004, at the British Psychological Society's Psychobiology Section Annual Conference at Low Wood in The Lake District.
Previous studies have shown that psychological stress in animals induces DNA damage, and a correlation relationship has been shown between psychological stress and DNA damage in humans. This is perhaps the first study in humans which tests this relationship using an experimental (controlled) design.
The researchers tested the link by subjecting 32 non-smoking women to either no-stress, or three stressful situations: unpredictable noises, an attention challenge or an anger-recall task.
The participants' DNA damage was measured before, immediately after and 4 hours after they were subjected to the stress. The researchers also measured perceived-stress, heart rate and blood pressure before and after the task.
The research, which is a Masters thesis by Mr Harris Tissarchondou, found that DNA damage can be induced by stress caused by unpredictable noises and this damage is unrelated to any other factors, such as changes in perceived stress or in heart rate and blood pressure.
As excessive damage to DNA can trigger or affect the prognosis of various chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease, ulcers and dementia the findings could have significant health implications, although the psychologists warn more research is needed.
Dr Gidron said: "Given the small sample and multiple tests conducted, we must place a great deal of caution on the findings. Nevertheless, they are in line with experimental studies in animals and extend previous studies in humans that have suggested there is a relationship between stress and DNA damage."
British Psychological Society (BPS)
The researchers tested the link by subjecting 32 non-smoking women to either no-stress, or three stressful situations: unpredictable noises, an attention challenge or an anger-recall task.
The participants' DNA damage was measured before, immediately after and 4 hours after they were subjected to the stress. The researchers also measured perceived-stress, heart rate and blood pressure before and after the task.
The research, which is a Masters thesis by Mr Harris Tissarchondou, found that DNA damage can be induced by stress caused by unpredictable noises and this damage is unrelated to any other factors, such as changes in perceived stress or in heart rate and blood pressure.
As excessive damage to DNA can trigger or affect the prognosis of various chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease, ulcers and dementia the findings could have significant health implications, although the psychologists warn more research is needed.
Dr Gidron said: "Given the small sample and multiple tests conducted, we must place a great deal of caution on the findings. Nevertheless, they are in line with experimental studies in animals and extend previous studies in humans that have suggested there is a relationship between stress and DNA damage."
British Psychological Society (BPS)
DNA Current Events and DNA News RSSProtein's essential role in repairing damaged cells revealed
University of Michigan researchers have discovered that a key protein in cells plays a critical role in not one, but two processes affecting the development of cancer.
Genetic mutation causes familial susceptibility for degenerative brain disease
Mutation of a gene that helps proteins migrate in and out of the cell's genetic command center - the nucleus - puts some families at higher risk for the degenerative brain disease acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE).
NYU scientists discover dangerous new method for bacterial toxin transfer
Scientists have discovered a new way for bacteria to transfer toxic genes to unrelated bacterial species, a finding that raises the unsettling possibility that bacterial swapping of toxins and other disease-aiding factors may be more common than previously imagined.
Plant polymerases IV and V are special forms of Polymerase II
It's a little like finding out that Superman is actually Clark Kent. A team of biologists at Washington University in St. Louis has discovered that two vital cellular components, nuclear RNA Polymerases IV and V (Pol IV and V), found only in plants, are actually specialized forms of RNA Polymerase II, an essential enzyme of all eukaryotic organisms, including humans.
Evolution in action: Our antibodies take 'evolutionary leaps' to fight microbes
With cold and flu season in full swing, the fact that viruses and bacteria rapidly evolve is apparent with every sneeze, sniffle, and cough. A new report in the January 2009 issue of The FASEB Journal, explains for the first time how humans keep up with microbes by rearranging the genes that make antibodies to foreign invaders. This research fills a significant gap in our understanding of how the immune system helps us survive.
Team finds breast cancer gene linked to disease spread
A team of researchers at Princeton University and The Cancer Institute of New Jersey has identified a long-sought gene that is fatefully switched on in 30 to 40 percent of all breast cancer patients, spreading the disease, resisting traditional chemotherapies and eventually leading to death.
Collagen VI may help protect the brain against Alzheimer's disease
Scientists from the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease (GIND), UCSF, and Stanford have discovered that a certain type of collagen, collagen VI, protects brain cells against amyloid-beta (Aβ) proteins, which are widely thought to cause Alzheimer's disease (AD).
Testes stem cell can change into other body tissues, Stanford/UCSF study shows
Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine and at UC-San Francisco have succeeded in isolating stem cells from human testes.
Understanding Extinct Microbes May Influence the State of Modern Human Health
The study of ancient microbes may not seem consequential, but such pioneering research at the University of Oklahoma has implications for the state of modern human health. Cecil Lewis, assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology, says results of this research raise questions about the microbes living on and within people.
In lung cancer, silencing one crucial gene disrupts normal functioning of genome
While examining patterns of DNA modification in lung cancer, a team of international researchers has discovered what they say is a surprising new mechanism.
More DNA Current Events and DNA News Articles
 | The DNA of Relationships (Smalley Franchise Products) by Gary Smalley, Greg Smalley, Michael Smalley, Robert S. Paul "Life is relationships; the rest is just details." We are designed for relationships, yet they often bring us pain. In this paradigm-shifting book, Dr. Gary Smalley unravels the DNA of relationships: We are made for three great relationships--with God, others, and ourselves--and all relationships involve choice. Gary exposes a destructive relationship dance that characterizes nearly every... |
 | Trace Your Roots with DNA: Use Your DNA to Complete Your Family Tree by Megan Smolenyak, Ann Turner Written by two of the country's top genealogists, this authoritative book is the first to explain how new and groundbreaking genetic testing can help you research your ancestryAccording to American Demographics, 113 million Americans have begun to trace their roots, making genealogy the second most popular hobby in the country (after gardening). Enthusiasts clamor for new information from dozens... |
 | DNA by James D. Watson Fifty years ago, James D. Watson, then just twentyfour, helped launch the greatest ongoing scientific quest of our time. Now, with unique authority and sweeping vision, he gives us the first full account of the genetic revolution—from Mendel’s garden to the double helix to the sequencing of the human genome and beyond.Watson’s lively, panoramic narrative begins with the fanciful... |
 | Forensic DNA Typing, Second Edition: Biology, Technology, and Genetics of STR Markers by John M. Butler Since the enormously successful first edition of Forensic DNA Typing was published, the Human Genome Project has published a draft sequence of the human genome and completed the "finished" reference sequence. The advent of modern DNA technology has resulted in the increased ability to perform human identity testing-desirable in a number of situations including the determination of perpetrators of... |
 | The DNA of Relationships for Couples (Smalley Franchise Products) by Greg Smalley, Robert S. Paul, Donna K. Wallace This book shows readers who are struggling in their marriage the steps to take to strengthen and rebuild their marriage relationship. The practical solutions are built on the basic steps that are explained in The DNA of Relationships. Smalley uses fictional couples (based on real client experience) who are grappling with real-life problems ranging from work and family priority balance issues to... |
 | The DNA of Healing: A Five-Step Process for Total Wellness and Abundance by Margaret Ruby Revolutionary scientific research is proving that our emotions and thoughts can impact our health and shape the course of our lives. But if a positive attitude is all we need to live a healthier and happier life, why don’t more people change more quickly? The answers lie deep in our DNA. Along with the color of our eyes and the shape of our nose, we have inherited the emotional patterns and... |
 | Molecular Biotechnology: Principles and Applications of Recombinant DNA by Bernard R. Glick, Jack J. Pasternak Completely revised and updated, this third edition of the best-selling Molecular Biotechnology covers both the underlying scientific prinicples and the wide-ranging industrial, agricultural, pharmaceutical, and biomedical applications of recombinant DNA technology. Updated chapters reflect recent developments in biotechnology and the societal issues related to it, such as cloning, gene therapy,... |
 | DNA Science: A First Course, Second Edition by David Micklos, Greg A. Freyer This is the second edition of a highly successful textbook (over 50,000 copies sold) in which a highly illustrated, narrative text is combined with easy–to–use thoroughly reliable laboratory protocols. It contains a fully up–to–date collection of 12 rigorously tested and reliable lab experiments in molecular biology, developed at the internationally renowned Dolan DNA Learning Center of... |
 | Unraveling DNA: Molecular Biology for the Laboratory by Michael R. Winfrey, Marc A. Rott, Alan Wortman This manual encompasses an integrated series of molecular biology laboratory exercises that involve the cloning and analysis of the bioluminescence (lux) genes from the marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri. The manual is divided into discrete units with each demonstrating one or more aspects of the cloning project. The manual is based on one of nature's most fascinating biological phenomenon:... |
 | Stuff of Life: A Graphic Guide to Genetics and DNA by Mark Schultz Let’s face it: From adenines to zygotes, from cytokinesis to parthenogenesis, even the basics of genetics can sound utterly alien. So who better than an alien to explain it all? Enter Bloort 183, a scientist from an asexual alien race threatened by disease, who’s been charged with researching the fundamentals of human DNA and evolution and laying it all out in clear, simple language so that... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |