Volume 1, Issue 1

April 22nd 2013

ReGENErate
News on all things GENE.

Diabetes Whats your type?

Diabetes is a disease wherein a person cannot process sugar for use as energy. It is classified into twoType I and Type II, depending on the cause. adults without this gene. Type II diabetes occurs when insulin secretion is impaired thus resulting to elevated glucose levels. Type II diabetes is mostly attributed to obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. Through exercise, glucose and lipid metabolism can be enhancedthus reducing the risk for diabetes. Type II diabetic patients are treated through oral hypoglycemic medications or in severe cases, administration of insulin. It has been found that 30% to 70% of risk to Type II diabetes is genetic while the rest is environmental. Variations in the TCF7L2 gene are strongly attributed to Type II diabetes. They are associated with impaired glucose secretions and increased blood glucose levels.

Human Genome Project (HGP) celebrates its 10th year of completion

April 13, 2013 marks the 10th year anniversary of completion of the Human Genome Project (HGP). The sequencing of 3 billon base pairs of the human genome was made possible and now being used in medicine and biotechnology.

Inside this issue:

SNPs in focus (contd) 2

Type I diabetes occurs when the beta cells in the pancreas are destroyed due to an autoimmune response which makes a person unable to produce the hormone insulin. Insulin degrades sugar and starch to glucose for use as energy. Type I diabetic patients are also called Insulin Dependent Diabetics (IDD) because the condition cannot be treatedonly managed by lifelong administration of insulin. HLA-DQB1 gene has the highest relative risk among all genes with Type I Diabetes risk which poses a 20% incidence in adults with this gene compared to 5% incidence of Type I diabetes in

Early detection is key to managing Diabetes.

Genetics is surely a major factor but a sedentary lifestyle plays a big role in acquiring the disease, that is why early detection is key to managing Diabetes. Diabetes management includes constant sugar monitoring and regular visits to the doctor - difficult, but surely worth it.

Genetic Predisposition 2 DNA Health (GPDH) test now available in the Philippines About the Author 2

SNPs in focus
SNPs or Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms are variations in the gene caused by differences in base pair sequences. For example, a common base pair sequence of AAGCCTA may appear as AAGCTTA in an individuals DNA. SNPs are common and usually occur in every 300 nucleotides which makes, on average, 10 million present in the human genome. Some of these SNPs are attributed to a persons susceptibility to toxins, response to drugs and his/her predisposal to some diseases. Continued on Page 2

World Health Organization. Genetics and Diabetes Available at http://www.who.int/genomics/about/Diabetis-fin.pdf Accessibility verified April 21, 2013 American Medical Association. Genetics of Type 2 Diabetes at http://www.ama-assn.org/resources/doc/genetics/genetics-type-2-diabetes.pdf Accessibility verified April 21, 2013

ReGENErate

Volume 1, Issue 1

SNPs in focus (continued)

An example is one of the genes responsible for Alzheimers disease called ApoE or apolipoprotein E. There are two SNPs for this gene which makes a total of three alleles: E2, E3, and E4 each inherited from both parents.
A typical Thymine (T) replacement of Cytosine (C).

of developing Alzheimers disease. On the other hand, inheriting the E2 allele makes an individual less likely to develop Alzheimers disease. Although ApoE is a good indicator of Alzheimers disease, it cannot be guaranteed that all individuals with E4 allele will develop the disease or all individuals with E2 allele

will not develop the disease because of environmental factors and the effect of other genes responsible for Alzheimers disease. Nevertheless, the role of SNPs in determining a peoples predisposal to diseases will make a large impact on their lives through early prevention and proper management.

Studies have shown that when even one E4 allele is present, there is a likelihood

Genetic Predisposition DNA Health (GPDH) test now available in the Philippines
easyDNA offers Genetic Predisposition DNA Health (GDPH) test in the Philippines. It is an international company with a laboratory that is ISO 17025 certified and also offers paternity testing, legal DNA testing, and prenatal paternity testing to more than 14 countries worldwide. GDPH test is SNP comparisons among ethnic groups/ The test can indicate your predisposition to diseases of the immune system such as lupus and psoriasis, cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and aneurysm, diseases related to ageing such as Alzheimers disease and macular degeneration, Diabetes Types I and II and certain kinds of cancers. Risk levels of an individual to these diseases are classified as high, medium or low. The results are presented in easy to read graphs which include an individuals estimated lifetime risk compared to average lifetime risk of his/her related ethnicity and information on whether the disease is dominantly affected by genetic or environmental factors. A DNA sampling kit shall be provided by the company which includes a lancet that must be pricked on the finger. The kit must be sent back to the company by post, and after 14 to 19 working days upon reaching the laboratory the results are already available. The whole test costs 23,500 pesos.

To know more about the easyDNA you can access their website at www.easyDNA.ph or contact them through the following: Landline: 045-436-0709 (PLDT) Celfone: 091798 23932 (Globe ) / 094972 49940 (Smart) Email address: info@easydna.ph Mail Address: Unit B De Leon Building, Batangas Street, Mt. View, Balibago, Angeles City 2009, Philippines

About the Author

Macapagal, Cassandra. Bio1 X4.

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DNA Baser: Sequencer software. SNPSingle Nucleotide Polymorphism Available at http://www.dnabaser.com/articles/SNP/SNP-single-nucleotidepolymorphism.html Accessibility verified April 21, 2013 Human Genome Project Information. SNP Fact Sheet Available at http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/faq/snps.shtml Accessibility verified April 21, 2013