Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Somewhere Bruce Lipton is laughing...and/or crying

Or maybe a combination of hysterical laughing/crying...
Here is an article, released today, that essentially says what cellular biologist Bruce Lipton has been saying for years: our genes are not the primary controllers of our destiny, but are themselves controlled by signals from the environment: i.e. what we eat, what we think, how we move, etc... But OF COURSE they HAVE to mention the great new drug therapies they can come up with to exploit this research, blah blah blah. Yes, it makes perfect sense in one sentence to say that our genes are controlled by "what we eat or how active we are", and in the next sentence to say that this can possibly be the basis for a revolutionary new drug treatment...

Dynamic Changes In DNA Linked To Human Diabetes

ScienceDaily (2009-09-02) -- New research may give new meaning to the adage "You are what you eat." The DNA isolated from the muscles of people with diabetes bears chemical marks not found in those who respond normally to rising blood sugar levels, according to the study. The epigenetic marks in question are specifically found on a gene that controls the amount of fuel, in the form of glucose or lipids, that cells burn.

Select quotes from article (italics added):
--"Those changes rapidly reprogram the gene's activity without altering the underlying DNA sequence at all. They suggest a way that environmental factors—what we eat or how active we are—may perhaps influence our genes, for better or for worse."
{Wow! What does this mean for the billions spent on the human genome project?}

--"It's a much more dynamic process than we thought," Zierath said. "The genetic causes of diabetes are important, but this shows us that epigenetic changes, which take place on top of our genes, can alter our physiology in critical ways."
{Yay! Keep going!}

----"The researchers say they don't yet know whether these epigenetic changes are reversible, but they do have evidence that they might be prevented."
{Prevention? Really?}

--"In a broader sense, the discovery shows that we are not "victims of our genes," she adds. "It's exciting because there may be ways for us to lower disease risk if physical activity or other lifestyle factors can positively influence our epigenome and improve metabolism."
{ How brave to admit this in public! Tell us more!}

--"There's room for this in terms of drug discovery," Zierath said.
{Doh!}

Um... why not focus on changing the "signals from the environment?"
Just a thought...