Recently, in a research paper published in an international journal, researchers from the University of Georgia have identified genes related to free radicals that cause diseases.
Free radicals are an active molecule related to many chronic diseases. In the article, the researchers discovered special genes that affect the ability of cells to resist free radicals. The researchers said that this study provides hope for later revealing the origin and occurrence of chronic diseases. With help, future researchers may be able to develop new therapies for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and diabetes.
Researcher Professor Robert Pazdro said that if we understand the risk factors that affect the health of the body, then we can better understand the risk of our own diseases. Once we understand the risk genes that affect the body's disease, we can manipulate the risk genes to suppress or slow down the risk and probability of disease.
In this study, the researchers focused on the glutathione molecule. Glutathione is a small molecule antioxidant widely found in human cells. Generally speaking, the higher the level of glutathione, the more protective The stronger the body’s tissues are; the researchers have conducted experiments on mice and identified candidate genes that regulate the levels of glutathione in the liver and kidneys of mice by using gene mapping technology.
Researcher Pazdro said that the gene we found is very special, and subtle changes in its DNA may make our body tolerate liver disease and may also make us tolerate kidney disease. In this study, the researchers revealed for the first time the genes that regulate the concentration of glutathione in the body's tissues, which is critical for further research to analyze the functions of these genes.