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bio_man bio_man
wrote...
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12 years ago
DNA sequenced of woman who lived to 115

The entire DNA sequence of a woman who lived to 115 has been pieced together by scientists.



The woman had some rare genetic changes

The woman, who was the oldest in the world at the time of her death, had the mind of someone decades younger and no signs of dementia, say Dutch experts.

The study, reported at a scientific conference in Canada, suggests she had genes that protected against dementia.

Further work could give clues to why some people are born with genes for a long life, says a UK scientist.

It is more than 10 years since the first draft of the human genetic code was revealed.
Continue reading the main story

Since then, perhaps a few hundred individuals have had their genes mapped in full, as the technology to "read" DNA gets better and cheaper.

The woman, whose identity is being kept secret, and is known only as W115, is the oldest person to have her genes mapped.

She donated her body to medical science, allowing doctors to study her brain and other organs, as well as her entire genetic code.

Dr Henne Holstege, of the Department of Clinical Genetics at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, says she appeared to have some rare genetic changes in her DNA.

It is not yet clear what role they carry out, but it appears there is something in her genes that protects against dementia and other diseases of later life.

Dr Holstege told the BBC: "We know that she's special, we know that her brain had absolutely no signs of Alzheimer's.

"There must be something in her body that is protective against dementia.

"We think that there are genes that may ensure a long life and be protective against Alzheimer's."

Proof of principle

W115 was born prematurely and was not expected to survive.

But she lived a long and healthy life, and entered a care home at the age of 105.

She eventually died from a stomach tumour, having been treated for breast cancer at the age of 100.

A test of her mental skills at the age of 113 showed she had the performance of a woman aged 60-75 years.

At post-mortem examination, doctors found no evidence of dementia or the furring of the arteries seen in heart disease.

They are making her gene sequence available to other researchers, to further the cause of science.

The work, which has yet to be published, was presented at the American Society of Human Genetics annual meeting in Montreal, Canada.

Commenting on the study, Dr Jeffrey Barrett, of the Sanger Centre in Cambridge, UK, said it was an important proof of principle.

He told the BBC: "Sequencing the genome of the world's oldest woman is an important starting point to understand how DNA variation relates to the process of having a long, healthy life.

"But in order to really understand the underlying biology of living a long, healthy life, we will need to look at the DNA sequence of hundreds or thousands of people."
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wrote...
#1
12 years ago
Its look strange! Did Resarch is still going on? and how they concluded it is due Genetic make up?
~Bv ram~I'm a student for all those who teaches
qew
wrote...
#2
12 years ago
Quote from: barathvaj (12 years ago)
Its look strange! Did Resarch is still going on? and how they concluded it is due Genetic make up?

I don't think it's because of the genetic make-up but perhaps the person had some unique proteins that allowed them to withstand all the environmental pressures that ordinary people would succumb to.
wrote...
#3
12 years ago
oh ! If u know anymore about this plz Share. .Thanks For this article!
~Bv ram~I'm a student for all those who teaches
bio_man Author
wrote...
#4
Educator
12 years ago
Quote from: barathvaj (12 years ago)
oh ! If u know anymore about this plz Share. .Thanks For this article!

Do you plan on living to 115 Face with Stuck-out Tongue
wrote...
#5
12 years ago
No. .just to know more!
~Bv ram~I'm a student for all those who teaches
bio_man Author
wrote...
#6
Educator
12 years ago
Quote from: barathvaj (12 years ago)
No. .just to know more!

Haha just kidding... I believe one's genes play a significant role, but with all the new studies coming out based on epigenetics, I'm still sceptic they'll find something,
wrote...
#7
12 years ago
oh! Can i know what Epi-genetics deals with ?
~Bv ram~I'm a student for all those who teaches
wrote...
#8
12 years ago
In biology, and specifically genetics, epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression or cellular phenotype caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence.
wrote...
#9
12 years ago
Quote from: trafficsigns (12 years ago)
In biology, and specifically genetics, epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression or cellular phenotype caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence.

Hi everyone,

Here's how I understand epigenetics. Imagine you had an identical twin (same DNA, same genes). At birth, you and your twin were separated, you were placed in a nurturing environment, but your twin was placed in the opposite environment. You grow up to be tall, healthy, and athletic. Your identical twin, however, turns out short, unhealthy, and nonathletic. Even though you and your twin have the same genes, because of the environment you were both exposed to, some of your genes were turned-off, while others were turned-on to ensure survival. This is what epigenetics is all about, that is, the proteins that are translated from your genes are dependent on the environments that the person is exposed to.

Good luck!
~Live well, laugh often, and love with all of your heart!~
wrote...
#10
12 years ago
Oh thanks !! I've Understood now
~Bv ram~I'm a student for all those who teaches
wrote...
#11
Valued Member
12 years ago
Quite an interesting article.
I don't feel like riding until everything blurs.

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