The gene limits the production of uric acid, which is associated with gout, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and metabolic disorders.
For the first time, scientists made Reborn a lost gene For humans for over 20 million years, in an advance that could make way for new gout treatments, kidney disease and cardiovascular problems.
The gout, a painful condition caused by the excess uric acid in the bloodtormented humans for centuries. The solution may be in a long -lost gene called Uricase, according to a new study published in.
In most mammals, uricase produces an enzyme that helps decompose uric acid. But evolutionary pressures led our primates ancestors to Losing this gene about 20 to 29 million yearswhen retention of higher levels of uric acid helped convert fruits sugars into fat – an advantage of survival during food scarcity.
“Without Uricase, humans get vulnerable,” said Eric Gaucher, a biologist at Georgia State University, who collided the study with Lais Barico. “We wanted to see what would happen if we reactivated the damaged gene”.
Using the CRISPR genetic editing tool, the team reconstructed an old version of the gene, joining it from functional variants in other mammals and computational models of its evolution. Then they inserted the recovered gene in human liver cells cultivated in the laboratory. Cells successfully produced the Uricase enzyme, which in turn reduced uric acid levels and prevented the conversion of fructose into triglycerides.
Experiences, including advanced 3D liver cell models, also showed that the enzyme reached the correct part of the cell, a sign that treatment could eventually function within the human body. However, the work is still at an early stage. Animal studies will be needed before any potential applications in humans, underlines the.
The implications can be broad. High uric acid is not only a gout cause, but it is also associated with cardiovascular disease, hypertension and metabolic disorders.
“By reducing uric acid, we could potentially Prevent multiple diseases All at once, ”explained Gaucher.
Researchers warn that much more work is needed before this therapy can be considered safe in humans.
