Sexes are different in reaction of genes
Study findings may suggest new treatments for illnesses
By Marni Leff Kottle
Bloomberg News
Posted July 8 2006
Genes behave differently in men and women, according to a study that may explain why some medical conditions strike the sexes differently and lead researchers to develop new treatment strategies.
Researchers examined more than 23,000 genes using technology from Merck & Co.'s Rosetta Informatics unit. While men and women have the same genes, the investigators found that the amount of information "expressed" by the genes varied based on gender. Genes convert information encoded inside them into proteins that make the body work.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-agender08jul08,0,7716324.story?coll=sfla-news-nationworld
The study may help scientists come up with genetic targets in finding treatments for conditions such as lupus and multiple sclerosis, which are more common in women, and heart disease, which affects more men, the researchers said. The study was published in the August issue of the journal Genome Research.
"The degree of difference in gene expression for men and women is unexpectedly high," said Xia Yang, the lead investigator and a fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles, in a telephone interview Friday. "Once we understand the mechanics of the underlying differences it will help us to develop better treatment strategies."
The differences were particularly obvious in the liver, the primary organ involved in breaking down drugs, and in fat tissue, the study found. Researchers identified 9,250 genes in the liver for which the number of copies an individual possessed varied by gender, Yang said.
That suggests that men and women might benefit from different doses of drugs, she said.
"One gender might metabolize a drug so much faster that the dose of that drug becomes so low that it doesn't reach the therapeutic threshold and may not be useful," Yang said.
Drug makers should ensure that experimental products are tested in both sexes, Yang said. Clinical trials now typically include more men than women, she said.
By Marni Leff Kottle
Bloomberg News
Posted July 8 2006
Genes behave differently in men and women, according to a study that may explain why some medical conditions strike the sexes differently and lead researchers to develop new treatment strategies.
Researchers examined more than 23,000 genes using technology from Merck & Co.'s Rosetta Informatics unit. While men and women have the same genes, the investigators found that the amount of information "expressed" by the genes varied based on gender. Genes convert information encoded inside them into proteins that make the body work.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-agender08jul08,0,7716324.story?coll=sfla-news-nationworld
The study may help scientists come up with genetic targets in finding treatments for conditions such as lupus and multiple sclerosis, which are more common in women, and heart disease, which affects more men, the researchers said. The study was published in the August issue of the journal Genome Research.
"The degree of difference in gene expression for men and women is unexpectedly high," said Xia Yang, the lead investigator and a fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles, in a telephone interview Friday. "Once we understand the mechanics of the underlying differences it will help us to develop better treatment strategies."
The differences were particularly obvious in the liver, the primary organ involved in breaking down drugs, and in fat tissue, the study found. Researchers identified 9,250 genes in the liver for which the number of copies an individual possessed varied by gender, Yang said.
That suggests that men and women might benefit from different doses of drugs, she said.
"One gender might metabolize a drug so much faster that the dose of that drug becomes so low that it doesn't reach the therapeutic threshold and may not be useful," Yang said.
Drug makers should ensure that experimental products are tested in both sexes, Yang said. Clinical trials now typically include more men than women, she said.
posted by Bill at 9:51 AM
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