2024-01-12 03:03:44
Image source, SAYOSTUDIO
1 hour ago
Why are Northern Europeans taller than Southern Europeans? Why are some diseases only found in certain parts of Europe? These questions can be answered by genetic material, or DNA. Residues in the teeth or skeletons of ancient people
Recently, an international team of scientists from the United Kingdom and Denmark has published an interesting study in the journal Nature, which reveals that genes or genetic units that previously protected humans from contracting deadly diseases from animals Now it turns out that there is a gene that increases the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS).
This discovery is considered a giant leap forward in the medical world. Because we have adjusted our understanding of the real cause. and has greatly changed the way MS is treated.
Why does it have to be MS?
Compared to the population of Southern Europe, twice as many people suffer from MS. For every 100,000 people in the North-West region of Europe This area includes the United Kingdom and the Scandinavian countries.
For this reason, a team of researchers from Denmark’s University of Copenhagen as well as from the UK’s Oxford and Cambridge universities. Therefore, genetic and archaeological studies were conducted for more than ten years. Until it was able to clearly identify the cause of MS in northwestern Europeans. It comes from certain genes inherited from our ancestors.
MS is caused by immune cells attacking the central nervous system. which includes the brain and spinal cord As a result, the muscles become hard and inflexible. Until the patient had problems walking and speaking
However, new research has found that genes that increase the risk of MS entered the population of northwestern Europeans around 5,000 years ago with the arrival of cattle herding tribes called the Yamna. Medicine” (Yamnaya)
Image source, GETTY IMAGES
caption,
Human ancestors lived together with herd animals such as cows and horses.
The Yamnaya people came from western Russia. Including the territories of present-day Ukraine and Kazakhstan. In the past, they had genes that prevented them from contracting disease from their flocks. This includes the sheep, cattle and horses that they raise and live in close proximity to.
But the lifestyle has changed in the present era. causing the role of this gene to vary as well Until it became the cause of many modern diseases.
Genetic decoding has been carried out from the remains of a number of ancient humans. Discovered in Europe and Western Asia. This information was then compared with the genes of hundreds of thousands of modern Britons. which the results show that There is a genetic link between our herding ancestors and today’s MS patients.
Find the balance point
Prof. Lars Fugger, leader of the research team from Oxford University, stated that This discovery helps shed light on the mysteries of MS. “The disease is not caused by a genetic mutation. But it comes from a simple gene that protects us from harmful germs.”
But modern life with higher hygiene standards Including vaccinations and antibiotics. Even if it makes people live longer and many diseases are eradicated. But the immune system of modern people Very vulnerable to autoimmune diseases such as MS
Today, doctors use immunosuppressive drugs to treat MS, but this method has its drawbacks. Because the patient has a weakened immune system and is easily infected. On this point, Prof. Fugger said, “In reality, when we act to treat MS, we are going once morest the trend of human evolution. Therefore, instead of eliminating immunity completely, We should be able to find a balance in our immune system. It would be better.”
After this, the research team plans to study ancient genetics further. To find the causes of other diseases that are still mysterious. such as autism, ADHD, depression, and bipolar disorder.
Image source: NATURE / UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN
caption,
A Neolithic human skull found in the Danish town of Porsmose in 1947.
Another study, published in the same issue of Nature, also used DNA analysis from thousands of ancient Eurasian skeletons. It is pointed out that the genes of the Yamnaya people make northern Europeans taller than southern Europeans.
While northern Europeans are at higher risk for MS, southern Europeans are at higher risk for bipolar disorder. which is the result of the genes of our ancestors during the early days of agriculture As for Eastern Europeans They are at higher risk of type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s dementia. This is the result of the genes of our prehistoric hunter-gatherer ancestors.
The said research also found that The gene that allows people to digest milk and vegetable foods is It only appeared regarding 6,000 years ago. Before that, human ancestors ate only meat as their main food.
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