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Tag: University of Edinburgh

  • Fossils Reveal Secrets of Nature’s Spirals

    Fossils Reveal Secrets of Nature’s Spirals

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    Newswise — Leaf arrangements in the earliest plants differ from most modern plants, overturning a long-held theory regarding the origins of a famous mathematical pattern found in nature, research shows.

    The findings indicate that the arrangement of leaves into distinctive spirals, that are common in nature today, were not common in the most ancient land plants that first populated the earth’s surface.

    Instead, the ancient plants were found to have another type of spiral. This negates a long held theory about the evolution of plant leaf spirals, indicating that they evolved down two separate evolutionary paths.

    Whether it is the vast swirl of a hurricane or the intricate spirals of the DNA double-helix, spirals are common in nature and most can be described by the famous mathematical series the Fibonacci sequence.

    Named after the Italian mathematician, Leonardo Fibonacci, this sequence forms the basis of many of nature’s most efficient and stunning patterns.

    Spirals are common in plants, with Fibonacci spirals making up over 90% of the spirals. Sunflower heads, pinecones, pineapples and succulent houseplants all include these distinctive spirals in their flower petals, leaves or seeds.

    Why Fibonacci spirals, also known as nature’s secret code, are so common in plants has perplexed scientists for centuries, but their evolutionary origin has been largely overlooked.

    Based on their widespread distribution it has long been assumed that Fibonacci spirals were an ancient feature that evolved in the earliest land plants and became highly conserved in plants.

    However, an international team led by the University of Edinburgh has overthrown this theory with the discovery of non-Fibonacci spirals in a 407-million-year old plant fossil.

    Using digital reconstruction techniques the researchers produced the first 3D models of leafy shoots in the fossil clubmoss Asteroxylon mackiei – a member of the earliest group of leafy plants.

    The exceptionally preserved fossil was found in the famous fossil site the Rhynie chert, a Scottish sedimentary deposit near the Aberdeenshire village of Rhynie.

    The site contains evidence of some of the planet’s earliest ecosystems – when land plants first evolved and gradually started to cover the earth’s rocky surface making it habitable.

    The findings revealed that leaves and reproductive structures in Asteroxylon mackiei, were most commonly arranged in non-Fibonacci spirals that are rare in plants today.

    This transforms scientists understanding of Fibonacci spirals in land plants. It indicates that non-Fibonacci spirals were common in ancient clubmosses and that the evolution of leaf spirals diverged into two separate paths.

    The leaves of ancient clubmosses had an entirely distinct evolutionary history to the other major groups of plants today such as ferns, conifers and flowering plants.

    The team created the 3D model of Asteroxylon mackiei, which has been extinct for over 400 million years, by working with digital artist Matt Humpage, using digital rendering and 3D printing.

    The research, published in the journal Science, was funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), The Royal Society and the German Research Foundation.

    The study also involved researchers from, University College Cork, Ireland, University Münster, Germany and Northern Rogue Studios, UK.

    Dr Sandy Hetherington, an evolutionary palaeobiologist and the project’s lead at the University of Edinburgh, said:

    “Our model of Asteroxylon mackiei lets us examine leaf arrangement in 3D for the first time. The technology to 3D print a 407-million-year old plant fossils and hold it in your hand is really incredible.

    “Our findings give a new perspective on the evolution of Fibonacci spirals in plants.”

    Holly-Anne Turner, who worked on the project as an undergraduate student at the University of Edinburgh and is first author of the study, said:

    “The clubmoss Asteroxylon mackiei is one of the earliest examples of a plant with leaves in the fossil record.

    “Using these reconstructions we have been able to track individual spirals of leaves around the stems of these 407 million year old fossil plants. Our analysis of leaf arrangement in Asteroxylon shows that very early clubmosses developed non-Fibonacci spiral patterns.”

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    University of Edinburgh

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  • New test could help identify type 2 diabetes risk

    New test could help identify type 2 diabetes risk

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    Newswise — Analysing changes to DNA in the blood can improve the ability to predict a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes within a decade.

    Scientists looked at the influence of these changes – known as DNA methylation – alongside other risk factors in almost 15,000 people to predict the likelihood of developing the condition years in advance of any symptoms developing.

    The findings could lead to preventative measures being put in place earlier, reducing the economic and health burden caused by type 2 diabetes.

    Methylation is a chemical process in the body in which a small molecule called a methyl group is added to DNA.

    Current risk prediction tools for type 2 diabetes use information such as age, sex, BMI and family history of the disease.

    Researchers from the University of Edinburgh found that the inclusion of DNA methylation data alongside these risk factors provided a more accurate prediction.

    The scientists used their results to estimate the predictive performance using a hypothetical screening scenario of 10,000 people, where one in three individuals develop type 2 diabetes over a 10-year period.

    The model that used DNA methylation correctly classed an extra 449 individuals compared with traditional risk factors alone.

    The addition or removal of these methyl groups can affect how some molecules act in the body. These methylation patterns can help to track ageing processes and development of disease.

    Data came from 14,613 volunteers in the Generation Scotland study – a large study designed to help scientists investigate the causes of disease, understand the country’s healthcare priorities, and inform future medical treatments and health policies.

    The team also repeated the analyses in 1,451 individuals from a study based in Germany to ensure their findings could be replicated in people from different backgrounds.

    Type 2 diabetes is a serious condition where the insulin a pancreas makes cannot work properly, or a pancreas cannot make enough insulin. This can lead to high blood sugar levels and, in turn, a range of health issues such as heart diseases and stroke, nerve damage and foot problems.

    More than 4.9 million people live with diabetes in the UK, with 90 per cent of those with type 2.

    The study is published in the journal Nature Aging: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-023-00391-4. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh were supported by experts at the University of Helsinki, the German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH) and the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD).

    Yipeng Cheng, a PhD student from the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, said: “It is promising that our findings were observed in the Scottish and German studies with both showing an improvement in prediction above and beyond commonly used risk factors. Delaying onset is important as diabetes is a risk factor for other common diseases, including dementias.”

    The study’s principal investigator, Professor Riccardo Marioni, also from the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, said: “Similar approaches could be taken for other common diseases to generate broad health predictors from a single blood or saliva sample. We are incredibly grateful for our study volunteers who make this research possible – the more people that join our study, the more precisely we can identify signals that will help delay or reduce the onset of diseases as we age.”

    Generation Scotland is currently recruiting volunteers and has recently opened to young people aged between 12 and 15 for the first time. Anyone who lives in Scotland can sign up online at www.generationscotland.org

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    University of Edinburgh

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  • Quarter of former Olympians suffer from osteoarthritis, study says

    Quarter of former Olympians suffer from osteoarthritis, study says

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    Newswise — One in four retired Olympians reported a diagnosis of osteoarthritis, the form of arthritis that causes changes in the joint and can lead to discomfort, pain and disability, the research found.

    Elite retired sportspeople who had experienced a sports-related injury had a higher chance of knee and hip osteoarthritis when compared with the general population.

    The athletes – who had competed at an Olympic level in 57 sports including athletics, rowing and skiing – also had an increased risk of lower back pain overall, and shoulder osteoarthritis after a shoulder injury.

    Researchers hope the findings will help develop new approaches in injury prevention for the benefit of athletes now and in retirement.

    The study – led by a University of Edinburgh based researcher – is the largest international survey of its kind, and the first to observe the consequences of osteoarthritis and pain in different joints from retired elite athletes across different summer and winter Olympic sports.

    Researchers quizzed 3,357 retired Olympians aged around 45 on injuries and the health of their bones, joints, muscles and spine. They were also asked if they were currently experiencing joint pain, and if they had an osteoarthritis diagnosis.

    For comparison, 1,735 people aged around 41 from the general population completed the same survey.

    Researchers used statistical models to compare the prevalence of spine, upper limb and lower limb osteoarthritis and pain in retired Olympians with the general population.  

    The team considered factors that could influence the risk of pain and osteoarthritis such as injury, recurrent injury, age, sex and obesity.

    They found that the knee, lumbar spine and shoulder were the most injury prone areas for Olympians. These were also among the most common locations for osteoarthritis and pain.

    After a joint injury the Olympians were more likely to develop osteoarthritis than someone sustaining a similar injury in the general population, the research found

    The sportspeople also had an increased risk of shoulder, knee, hip and ankle and upper and lower spine pain after injury, although this did not differ with the general population.

    Dr Debbie Palmer, of the University of Edinburgh’s Moray House School of Education and Sport, said: “High performance sport is associated with an increased risk of sport-related injury and there is emerging evidence suggesting retired elite athletes have high rates of post-traumatic osteoarthritis.

    “This study provides new evidence for specific factors associated with pain and osteoarthritis in retired elite athletes across the knee, hip, ankle, lumbar and cervical spine, and shoulder, and identifies differences in their occurrence that are specific to Olympians.”

    Researchers say the study may help people make decisions about recovery and rehabilitation from injuries in order to prevent recurrences, and to inform prevention strategies to reduce the risk and progression of pain and OA in retirement.

    Two linked studies are published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

    Open access version of the paper are available here: Part 1 –https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/prevalence-of-and-factors-associated-with-osteoarthritis-and-pain

     Part 2 – https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/prevalence-of-and-factors-associated-with-osteoarthritis-and-pain-2

    The World Olympians Association funded the Retired Olympian Musculoskeletal Health Study with a research grant from the International Olympic Committee.

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    University of Edinburgh

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  • Protein insights may boost lung cancer detection and treatment

    Protein insights may boost lung cancer detection and treatment

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    Newswise — Scientists investigating the mechanics of the early stages of lung cancer have identified a new potential treatment, which could also aid early detection of the disease.

    Levels of a key protein – called TLR2 – in tumours was found to predict a patient’s survival after being diagnosed with lung cancer, a study shows.

    A drug compound that activates TLR2 was tested in mice and was found to reduce tumour growth in the early stages of the disease.

    With the five-year survival rate from late stage lung cancer only six per cent – compared with 50 per cent when diagnosed earlier – experts say the breakthrough could help spot the disease sooner and improve patient outcomes.

    A group, led by researchers from the University of Edinburgh, discovered that TLR2 helps control some of the body’s defense mechanisms when cancerous mutations occur in cells.

    The protein is linked with senescence, a process whereby cells stop growing and secrete a variety of chemicals and other proteins which collectively act as warning signals and defences against cancer.

    Senescent cells are present in early lung cancers, but are no longer present in late-stage cancers, suggesting that senescence can prevent cancer progression.

    Having identified TLR2’s importance, the team used data from human tumour samples to confirm that patients with high levels of the protein in the early stages of lung cancer had increased survival compared to those who had lower levels.

    The team then used a drug known to activate TLR2 in a mouse model of lung cancer. Researchers found that the drug reduced lung tumour growth.

    Experts hope these findings could lead to research into using senescence and the associated secreted chemicals as part of a screening programme to provide earlier lung cancer diagnosis.

    Further research is needed, the team adds, such as clinical trials to confirm whether the drug is effective in humans.

    The research is a collaboration between researchers from University of Edinburgh, University College London, University of Cantabria in Spain, the Spanish National Research Council and the Mayo Clinic in the USA.

    The study is published in Cell Reports. It was funded by Cancer Research UK, Wellcome, the Ministry of Science and Innovation of the Government of Spain and the US National Institute of Aging.

    Dr Fraser Millar, Clinical Lecturer in Respiratory Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, said: “I think these results are really exciting. Very little is known about the biology of early lung cancer and by understanding this process more we have identified a possible new treatment for this devastating disease. This project highlights the value of basic science research and how this can be translated into new treatments for patients.”

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    University of Edinburgh

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