DNA dabbles

  Introducing Our Latest Blog Series on Autoimmune Diseases Are you ready to dive deep into the complex world of autoimmune diseases? In our latest blog post series, we will be introducing some exciting new content that will explore everything you need to know about these conditions. What Are Autoimmune Diseases? Autoimmune diseases occur when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its tissues and organs. This can lead to a wide range of symptoms and potentially serious health consequences. From rheumatoid arthritis to lupus, there are over 80 different types of autoimmune diseases, each with its own unique challenges. Why is it Important to Understand Autoimmune Diseases? Understanding autoimmune diseases is crucial for both individuals living with these conditions and healthcare professionals. By gaining insight into the underlying causes, symptoms, and treatment options for autoimmune diseases, we can work towards better managing and potentially curing these diseases i...

Are you unfamiliar with autoimmune diseases and how they can affect your health and well-being? In this article, we will explore the common types of autoimmune diseases, their symptoms, causes, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, and tips for self-care and management. By the end of this article, you will have a better understanding of autoimmune diseases and how to take control of your health. Alright, let's dive into the world of autoimmune diseases! What are autoimmune diseases? The immune system is a huge network of cells and proteins that protects us against harmful viruses and bacteria that can make us ill. Basically, an autoimmune disease is when your immune system gets all confused and starts attacking your own body's healthy cells instead of harmful cells. It's like your immune system is having a major identity crisis! Types of autoimmune diseases This can lead to a range of conditions each affecting different parts of the body. There are over 80 known autoimmune di...

What is Liquid biopsy?? It is a technique for analyzing blood and other bodily fluids, for diagnosing and monitoring diseases.  Because we don't need an invasive procedure, such as surgery, to obtain biofluids, liquid biopsies are non-invasive and painless.  This feature of liquid biopsy makes it useful, when tissue biopsy cannot be used.  An important example of such applications is cancer, where liquid biopsy can be used as a diagnostic and monitoring tool. How is Liquid Biopsy performed? Liquid biopsy analyses can be done on blood as well as other bodily fluids such as urine, saliva or sputum. But, blood samples are the most commonly used samples for testing. A small amount of blood is drawn using a needle and syringe. Cells are separated from the blood and circulating DNA or RNA is extracted from the cell-free blood, or blood components such as plasma or serum. Levels of nucleic acids are commonly measured using techniques such as PCR. Changes in the sequence of nucle...

  Hi readers! Welcome back to another post on cell-free DNA ! This time we will look at another type of change that can occur in DNA – methylation.  Not all genes are expressed in a cell at the same amount at a given time. Some genes are expressed in a lower amount and some are expressed in a higher amount. By gene expression, I mean production of a protein from the gene encoding it. Changes in gene expression which do not affect the DNA sequence are called epigenetic changes .  Methylation is a type of epigenetic change used by the cells to turn off gene expression. It changes a component of the DNA molecule called the nucleotide base. In this event, a methyl group is added to the carbon at the fifth position of a cytosine ring, resulting in the formation of a 5-methylcytosine. Methylation of a gene can block its expression compared to genes that are not methylated. In a cell, addition or removal of methyl groups are used to regulate gene expression.  In cancer, ge...

Hi readers! In today’s post, we will look at mutations that can be detected in cell-free DNA. Mutations are changes in the DNA sequence that can happen due to environmental factors or when DNA is copied. With respect to mutations in cell-free DNA, research has been done primarily in cancer. In cancer, such changes occur in genes that play a role in cell growth and death. During the course of tumor development, a tumor accumulates several mutations. These mutations can be detected in cell-free DNA and this indicates that the cfDNA was released by the tumor. For example, suppose that we isolated cell-free DNA from a breast cancer patient Z and analyzed it for mutations in the PIK3CA gene. PIK3CA gene plays an important role in mediating pathways responsible for growth and survival of the cell. It is the most commonly mutated gene in breast cancer patients, mutations being detected in about 1/3rd of cases. Now, say that Z has a mutation in PIK3CA gene. Now how can this information help u...

 Hi readers and welcome back to my blog post on DNA integrity index! Last time we looked at what DNA integrity index is and how it can be measured. Today, we will look at how DII can be used for diagnosing a disease like cancer. So how can a DII ratio help diagnose cancer?  When we say we use DII ratios for diagnosis, we mean that we are testing whether the values of ratios in patients are different from those in healthy people. Most studies say that the cancer patients have longer fragments than shorter fragments. Healthy people tend to have higher amounts of shorter fragments than longer fragments. So, the amount of long or short fragments of cfDNA in a person determines the DII value for that person. Let’s take a study by Pinzani and colleagues as an example.  In 2011, Pinzani and colleagues tried to find a suitable ratio for diagnosing melanoma. They isolated cell-free DNA from the plasma of 79 melanoma patients and 34 healthy people. They measured DNA fragments of ...