I'm doing lots of coffee for the dementia prevention part.
http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=143597&CultureCode=en
A specific genetic variation discovered by researchers at Linköping
University in Sweden protects against Parkinson’s Disease – especially
for those who drink a lot of coffee.
The study is published in the scientific journal PLOS One.
Hereditary and environmental factors interact with one another in the
emergence of diseases, and research is often focussed on identifying
genes and exposures that increase the risk for contracting diseases. But
there are also genetic variations – mutations – and environmental
factors that protect against the emergence of certain diseases.
Neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s have a complicated
background where both genetic factors and exposure to environmental
factors are involved. In a study of a million genetic malformations,
the research team identified a variant of the GRIN2A gene as a
protective factor against Parkinson's. The corresponding protein is part
of a complex that is thought to play a role in several
neurodegenerative diseases.
An epidemiological study of Parkinson’s patients from two counties in
south east Sweden examined a combination of a previously known
protective factor – caffeine – and the genetic variant in GRIN2A. The
findings show that individuals with this combination run a significantly
lower risk of developing the disease.
The study gives a molecular explanation to the protective effects
that increased caffeine intake has on the development of Parkinson’s.
Caffeine integrates with a dopamine receptor that regulates the flow of
calcium into the cell. As dopamine is part of the human reward system,
and the interaction of caffeine with it, it has been speculated that
individuals with certain genetic variations are not “rewarded” to the
same extent by a cup of coffee, and therefore would not enjoy the same
protective effect as others. The newly published study shows that GRIN2A
can be a part of such a genetic predisposition.
The study was conducted with financial support from the Foundation for Parkinson's Research at Linköping University.
No comments:
Post a Comment