New Delhi, July 31 (IANS) Environmental factors may play a larger role in disease risk than previously thought, overshadowing genetic contributions a study by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine reveals.

Published in the journal Nature Communications, the research shows that lifestyle and environmental factors, such as air pollution, can significantly influence disease risk, offering more opportunities for mitigation.

“We’re trying to disentangle how much genetics and how much the environment influences the development of disease,” said Bibo Jiang, assistant professor of public health sciences.

The team used a novel spatial mixed linear effect (SMILE) model, combining genetics and geolocation data, to analyse disease risks.

Dajiang Liu, co-senior author, emphasised the importance of separating environmental influences from genetic factors: “If we can tease apart these shared environments, what’s remaining could more accurately reflect genetic heritability of disease.”

Using data from IBM MarketScan and environmental data, the researchers re-evaluated the genetic contributions to various diseases.

For example, the genetic risk of Type 2 diabetes was recalibrated from 37.7 per cent to 28.4 per cent, highlighting a greater role for environmental factors. Similarly, the genetic contribution to obesity risk decreased from 53.1 per cent to 46.3 per cebt.

The study also distinguished the effects of specific pollutants, such as PM2.5 and NO2, on health conditions. NO2 was found to directly influence conditions like high cholesterol and diabetes, whereas PM2.5 impacted lung function and sleep disorders.

This research suggests that understanding the balance between genetic and environmental factors can enhance disease prevention strategies, particularly in precision medicine.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 31 (IANS) Kindlins, adapter proteins found in vertebrate cells could change the face of cancer treatments, research from S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences has found.

The research team, led by Debojyoti Chowdhury, analyzed data from 10,000 patients across 33 cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas to investigate Kindlins’ role in cancer progression, published in the journal Communications Biology, the study underscores Kindlins’ potential as targets for innovative cancer therapies.

Kindlins are proteins attached to the cell membranes in almost all vertebrate cells, crucial for converting extracellular mechanical cues into biochemical signals.

These proteins interact with structural proteins, receptors, and transcription factors, triggering a cascade of intracellular signals essential for maintaining the body’s homeostasis. Disruptions in the Kindlin structure can lead to diseases like cancer.

The study highlighted that Kindlin 1 regulates the immune microenvironment in breast cancer, while Kindlin 2 is involved in cancer-specific metabolic processes like the TCA cycle and glycolysis.

Additionally, Kindlin 2 influences HIPPO signalling, a pathway that promotes cancer cell migration and invasion.

“Kindlin 2 can also regulate HIPPO signalling, Hippo signalling is a kind of signal in cancer cells that tells the cell to migrate and invade other tissues. Kindlin 2 can also regulate HIPPO signalling,” said Debojyoti Chowdhury in a statement.

The study suggests a potential link between Kindlin dysfunction and adverse survival outcomes, providing evidence for their importance in various cancer stages and subtypes.

“By studying all Kindlin family members collectively, we can gain a comprehensive understanding of their potential complementary and synergistic roles in cancer biology,” Chowdhury added.

It offers new avenues for cancer treatment strategies, particularly in overcoming chemoresistance and tumour relapse, pivotal challenges in oncology. This research may pave the way for novel interventions in the ongoing battle against cancer.

–IANS

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Gurugram, July 31 (IANS) One Kanwariya died while two others sustained serious injuries after a speeding truck hit a bike on the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, police said.

The deceased has been identified as Hemant Meena, a resident of Kotputli, Rajasthan.

Police said that the accident took place on the Rampura flyover on the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway and the driver has been arrested.

Following the accident, the Kanwariyas blocked the Delhi-Jaipur highway in protests and demanded Rs 50 lakh and a government job for the family of the deceased as compensation.

However, following the police intervention, the Kanwariyas cleared the road and allowed vehicular activities on the Expressway.

Earlier, following a traffic jam on the Delhi-Jaipur highway, vehicles going from Delhi to Jaipur were diverted from Rajiv Chowk in Gurugram, while vehicles coming from Jaipur to Delhi were diverted from Kundali-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway and areas adjoining Manesar.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 31 (IANS) Former Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan will be the new Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) chairperson from Thursday, under Article 316 A of the Constitution.

The 1983 batch IAS from the Andhra Pradesh cadre will take over charge from Manoj Soni who recently resigned.

She will have tenure till April 2025.

Sudan, who retired as Union Health Secretary in July, 2020, also served as Secretary in Food & Public Distribution Department, and, in the Ministry of Women & Child Development and Defence.

She initiated two major flagship programmes of the country, i.e., ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ and ‘Ayushman Bharat’, apart from Legislation on the National Medical Commission, Allied Health Professionals Commission & ban on E-cigarettes.

She had also served as a Consultant with the World Bank.

Besides, she had served as Chair of COP-8 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Vice Chair of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, Chair of Global Digital Health Partnership and a member of WHO’s Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response.

–IANS

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Kolkata, July 31 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has tracked the network which built empires over ill-gotten proceeds in the ration-distribution case similar to that of Sheikh Shahjahan, the arrested and suspended Trinamool Congress leader from Sandeshkhali.

The ED officials detected this during their day-long raid and search operations at ten places in two districts of West Bengal on Tuesday, said sources

Incidentally, the native district for these two empires is also North 24 Parganas and both have very strong ruling party connections.

Sources said that one of the 10 places, where the ED official escorted by Central Armed Police Forces personnel raided, was the office of PG High Tech Rice Mill at Berachampa under Deganga community development block in North 24 Parganas.

Investigation by the Central agency sleuths has revealed two important facts. The said entity is jointly owned by two brothers Alif Nur a.k.a. Mukul and Anisur Rahaman a.k.a. Bidesh, with the latter being Trinamool Congress’ Deganga block president.

These two brothers, as revealed through investigation, are also the cousins of businessman Bakibur Rahman, the first to be arrested by the ED officials in the ration distribution case.

Investigations have further revealed that the two brothers also ancestrally own a private B.Ed & D.El.Ed College which is quite profit-making. Bidesh successfully contested the panchayat elections in 2018 and became the PWD executive officer of Deganga panchayat samiti.

After the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, he became the ruling party’s Deganga block president.

Bidesh was quite cool in his reactions given to the media after the raid and search operation. “Raids by central agencies are regular affairs these days. However, we have extended full cooperation to the ED officials and handed them over all the documents that they sought. We will continue cooperating with the investigating officials in the coming days. They have seized my mobile phone,” he said.

The second empire that has been tracked by the ED officials is that of Abdul Barik Biswas, known to be a close aide of former state food and supplies minister Jyotipriya Mallick, who is currently in judicial custody in connection with the ration distribution case.

On Tuesday, the ED officials conducted raid and search operations at the residences of Biswas at Basirhat, Rajarhat and Barasat, all in North 24 Parganas district. The investigating officials also recovered cash worth Rs 20 lakh from his Rajarhat residence.

Although he had never been directly into politics, his close family members are. His elder brother Ghulam was an elected member of the North 24 Parganas Zilla parishad from 2013 to 2018. The latter’s wife Safiza Begum replaced him in the 2018 panchayat polls.

Abdul Barik Biswas has a past criminal record. He was arrested by the customs department in connection with gold smuggling. A consignment of gold was also seized from his possession then. He remained behind bars for some years and was then released on bail. After being released, he started multiple businesses like rice mill, cola trading, brick kiln and transport.

–IANS

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