Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3648/1410011
Relationship of Mitochondrial DNA Haplogroups with Complex Diseases
Carlos G Urzua-Traslavina, Maria G Moreno-Trevino, Denisse A Martinez-Trevino, Hugo A Barrera-Saldana and Rafael BR Leon-Cachon
Article Type: Review Article | First Published: December 16, 2014
Mitochondria are responsible for energy production in unicellular and multicellular eukaryotes. Apart from their major role in metabolism, mitochondria are involved in many other cellular processes. A new paradigm is needed to understand aging, aging-related illnesses, and complex diseases. Because of the long co-evolution of mitochondria with the cells, subtle variations in the function of these organelles could influence many organ systems. Understanding the extent of this influence will shed ...
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3648/1410010
Oxidative Stress and the Epigenome in Human Disease
Adriana Arita and Max Costa
Article Type: Review Article | First Published: December 15, 2014
Epigenetics refers to the study of the changes in gene expression that occur without changes in the DNA sequence. There is growing evidence that epigenetic modifications such as changes in the levels of DNA methylation or post-translational histone modifications are involved in the pathogenesis of many human diseases including cancer. Oxidative stress as a result of metabolic or environmental factors leads to excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS plays a role in many human d...
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3648/1410009
Discordant Disease Course in a Monozygotic Twin Pair with Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia
Silvia Bresolin, Paola De Filippi, Claudia Cagioni, Simone Cesaro, Annamaria Di Meglio, Anna Leszl, Fiorenza Aprili, Chiara Cugno, Chiara Frasson, Marco Zecca, Cesare Danesino and Geertruyte Kronnie
Article Type: Research Article | First Published: December 14, 2014
Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia is a rare neoplastic disorder occurring in early childhood often showing an aggressive progression. We report a case of a twin pair with concordant JMML but an extremely different disease course. Both twins presented with somatic aberrations of chromosome 7 and mutations in PTPN11. Analysis of sorted BM and PB cell populations revealed the clonal nature of the disease and indicated that genomic aberrations arise from common hematopoietic precursor cells. PTPN11 m...
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3648/1410007
Variation H452Y in HTR2A Gene Effects Immediate Visual Memory
Nesli Avgan, Heidi G. Sutherland, Lauren K. Spriggens, Astrid J. Rodriguez-Acevedo, Larisa M. Haupt, David H. K. Shum and Lyn R. Griffihs
Article Type: Research Article | First Published: November 12, 2014
Serotonin and its receptors, including the 5-Hydroxytryptamine Receptor 2A encoded by the HTR2A gene, are important for learning and memory in animals and humans.Polymorphic variation in the HTR2A gene, which encodes the 5-HT2Aserotonin receptor, has previously been shown to associate with some memory traits,in particular effecting delayed verbal memory. In the current study we have examined the HTR2A His452Tyr (H452Y) substitution for association in a cohort of healthy individuals whose memory ...
