scholarly journals The Era of the Genome and Dental Medicine

2019 ◽  
Vol 98 (9) ◽  
pp. 949-955 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Divaris
Keyword(s):  
Oral Health ◽  
Dental Caries ◽  
Human Genome ◽  
Genomic Medicine ◽  
Genome Project ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Gene Therapies ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Health And Disease

Understanding the “code of life” and mapping the human genome have been monumental and era-defining scientific landmarks—analogous to setting foot on the moon. The last century has been characterized by exponential advances in our understanding of the biological and specifically molecular basis of health and disease. The early part of the 20th century was marked by fundamental theoretical and scientific advances in understanding heredity, the identification of the DNA molecule and genes, and the elucidation of the central dogma of biology. The second half was characterized by experimental and increasingly molecular investigations, including clinical and population applications. The completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003 and the continuous technological advances have democratized access to this information and the ability to generate health and disease association data; however, the realization of genomic and precision medicine, to practically improve people’s health, has lagged. The oral health domain has made great strides and substantially benefited from the last century of advances in genetics and genomics. Observations regarding a hereditary component of dental caries were reported as early as the 1920s. Subsequent breakthroughs were made in the discovery of genetic causes of rare diseases, such as ectodermal dysplasias, orofacial clefts, and other craniofacial and dental anomalies. More recently, genome-wide investigations have been conducted and reported for several diseases and traits, including periodontal disease, dental caries, tooth agenesis, cancers of the head and neck, orofacial pain, temporomandibular disorders, and craniofacial morphometrics. Gene therapies and gene editing with CRISPR/Cas represent the latest frontier surpassed in the era of genomic medicine. Amid rapid genomics progress, several challenges and opportunities lie ahead. Importantly, systematic efforts supported by implementation science are needed to realize the full potential of genomics, including the improvement of public and practitioner genomics literacy, the promotion of individual and population oral health, and the reduction of disparities.

Oral Health and Nutrition

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carole. A. Palmer ◽  
Zhangmuge Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Oral Health ◽  
Dental Caries ◽  
Periodontal Diseases ◽  
Oral Disease ◽  
Oral Diseases ◽  
Oral Infections ◽  
Surgeon General ◽  
Optimal Health ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Oral Conditions

Oral diseases are among the most prevalent diseases affecting global health. In his report on the crisis in oral disease in America, the Surgeon General warned that one cannot be truly healthy without oral health. Oral health means freedom from all oral health problems; tooth decay (dental caries), periodontal diseases, tooth loss, oral-facial pain, oral cancer and the effects of its treatment, oral infections, craniofacial birth defects and more. The relationships between oral conditions and systemic health and disease are many and synergistic, and most involve dietary and/or systemic nutritional factors. Diet and nutrition can play important roles in the etiology, prevention, and/or management of oral conditions, as they do in overall health and disease. Today, all health professionals and educators need to be aware of and consider oral issues and their possible diet/nutritional implications as a component of optimal health care and education. This review article provides a brief overview of how diet and nutrition impact and are impacted by oral conditions, and offers general guidelines and resources for providing meaningful interventions throughout the life cycle. This review contains 3 figures, 3 tables, and 57 references Key Words: biofilm, cariogenic, dental caries, dental plaque, ECC-early childhood caries, lactobacillus, mucositis, non-cariogenic, periodontal disease, Streptococcus mutans

Unraveling Disease Pathophysiology with Mathematical Modeling

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 371-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brody H. Foy ◽  
Bronner P. Gonçalves ◽  
John M. Higgins
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Modeling ◽  
Cellular Tissue ◽  
Research Community ◽  
Response To Treatment ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Organ Level

Modeling has enabled fundamental advances in our understanding of the mechanisms of health and disease for centuries, since at least the time of William Harvey almost 500 years ago. Recent technological advances in molecular methods, computation, and imaging generate optimism that mathematical modeling will enable the biomedical research community to accelerate its efforts in unraveling the molecular, cellular, tissue-, and organ-level processes that maintain health, predispose to disease, and determine response to treatment. In this review, we discuss some of the roles of mathematical modeling in the study of human physiology and pathophysiology and some challenges and opportunities in general and in two specific areas: in vivo modeling of pulmonary function and in vitro modeling of blood cell populations.

scholarly journals Genetic Complexity of the Human Genome in Health and Disease: Basic Concepts

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-120
Author(s):  
A. Athanassiadou
Keyword(s):  
Human Genome ◽  
Genomic Medicine ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
Dna Looping ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
Genetic Complexity ◽  
Topologically Associated Domains ◽  
Health And Disease

Determination of the DNA sequence of the human genome, revealing extensive genetic variation, and the mapping of the genes and the various regulatory elements of genome function within the genomic DNA, has revolutionized the way we view the states of health and disease in our time. Genetic complexity of the genome is manifested on different levels. The first level refers to the expression of protein coding genes, as regulated by their individual promoter in linear proximity. The next level of genetic complexity involves long distance action by far away enhancers, interacting with promoters through DNA looping. This 3- dimensional (3D) regulation is further developing by chromosome folding into the so called transcription factories, for fully physiological expression. Chromosome folding, mediated by specific genetic elements - insulators - is adding to the genetic complexity by facilitating movements of chromatin of specific genomic regions - the so-called topologically associated domains (TAD) in support of transcription and other cellular functions. Further genetic complexity has emerged with the finding that over 75% of the genome is transcribed and except of the coding genes, a plethora of RNA transcripts are produced - the non-coding RNA - that has important regulatory roles in the gene expression context. The great variation of genome sequence and regulatory elements of the genome architecture are exploited in studies of genome-wide association with disease, in the framework of Precision Medicine and in general of Genomic Medicine.

scholarly journals Precision Health: Bringing Oral Health into the Context of Overall Health

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Tabak ◽  
E. Green ◽  
S. Devaney ◽  
M. Somerman
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Human Genome ◽  
Data Science ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
New Era ◽  
Precision Health

Unprecedented advances in genomics, data science, and biotechnology have ushered in a new era of health care in which interventions are increasingly tailored to individual patients. Precision-based approaches extend to oral health, which is essential to overall health. Harnessing the full potential of precision oral health will depend on research to more fully understand the factors that underlie health and contribute to disease—including the human genome, microbiome, epigenome, proteome, and others.

scholarly journals Deteriorating human microbiome – An emerging global health challenge

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 417-418
Author(s):  
Rahul Bansal
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Human Genome ◽  
Human Genome Project ◽  
Human Microbiome ◽  
Genome Project ◽  
Infectious Disease Society ◽  
The World ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Global Health Challenge

The study of human microbiome and its relationship with health and disease is one of the most exciting areas of research in health all over the world, especially after the failure of human genome project to deliver its expected results. Our body is composed of 30 trillion human cells. But it is host to close to 100 trillion bacterial and fungal cells. 70 – 90% of all cells in our body are non human. They reside on every inch of our skin, in our nose, mouth, ears, in our oesophagus, stomach and most abundantly in our gut. They are not a random phenomenon but have co-evolved with us humans over millions of years.  Collectively these bacteria weigh about 3 pounds. The more we read about research on microbiome or microbiota, the name given to all these friendly symbiotic partners, the more we get interested in their role in health and disease. According to Martin J.  Blaser, director of the Human Microbiome Program, who has also served as the president of Infectious Disease Society of America, in his best seller ‘Missing Microbes' (1), “It is our microbiome that keeps us healthy and parts of it are disappearing. The reason for this disaster is all around us – overuse of antibiotics in humans and animals, caesarean sections and widespread use of sanitizers and antiseptics, to name just a few.”

scholarly journals Genomic Interventions in Medicine

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 117793221881610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oluwadurotimi S Aworunse ◽  
Oluwatomiwa Adeniji ◽  
Olusola L Oyesola ◽  
Itunuoluwa Isewon ◽  
Jelili Oyelade ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Human Genome ◽  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Biological Function ◽  
Genomic Medicine ◽  
Genome Project ◽  
Biomedical Sciences ◽  
Base Pairs ◽  
Human Dna ◽  
The Human Genome Project

Lately, the term “genomics” has become ubiquitous in many scientific articles. It is a rapidly growing aspect of the biomedical sciences that studies the genome. The human genome contains a torrent of information that gives clues about human origin, evolution, biological function, and diseases. In a bid to demystify the workings of the genome, the Human Genome Project (HGP) was initiated in 1990, with the chief goal of sequencing the approximately 3 billion nucleotide base pairs of the human DNA. Since its completion in 2003, the HGP has opened new avenues for the application of genomics in clinical practice. This review attempts to overview some milestone discoveries that paved way for the initiation of the HGP, remarkable revelations from the HGP, and how genomics is influencing a paradigm shift in routine clinical practice. It further highlights the challenges facing the implementation of genomic medicine, particularly in Africa. Possible solutions are also discussed.

Genomics in 2K10: Fulfilling the Promise of a Sequenced Human Genome

Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (21) ◽  
pp. SCI-16-SCI-16
Author(s):  
Eric D. Green
Keyword(s):  
Human Genome ◽  
Genome Sequence ◽  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Genetic Diseases ◽  
Genomic Medicine ◽  
Genome Project ◽  
Human Genome Sequence ◽  
Genomics Research

Abstract Abstract SCI-16 The Human Genome Project's completion of the human genome sequence in 2003 was a landmark scientific achievement of historic significance. It also signified a critical transition for the field of genomics, as the new foundation of genomic knowledge started to be used in powerful ways by researchers and clinicians to tackle increasingly complex problems in biomedicine. To exploit the opportunities provided by the human genome sequence and to ensure the productive growth of genomics as one of the most vital biomedical disciplines of the 21st century, the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) is pursuing a broad vision for genomics research beyond the Human Genome Project. This vision includes facilitating and supporting the highest-priority research areas that interconnect genomics to biology, to health, and to society.Current efforts in genomics research are focused on using genomic data, technologies, and insights to acquire a deeper understanding of biology and to uncover the genetic basis of human disease. Some of the most profound advances are being catalyzed by revolutionary new DNA sequencing technologies; these methods are already producing prodigious amounts of DNA sequence data, including from large numbers of individual patients. Such a capability, coupled with better associations between genetic diseases and specific regions of the human genome, are accelerating our understanding of the genetic basis for complex genetic disorders and for drug response. Together, these developments will usher in the era of genomic medicine. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

The Genetic Revolution at Work: Legislative Efforts to Protect Employees

2002 ◽  
Vol 28 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 271-283
Author(s):  
Patricia A. Roche
Keyword(s):  
Human Genome ◽  
Genetic Information ◽  
Genomic Medicine ◽  
Genome Project ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Genome Research ◽  
Genetic Revolution ◽  
Common Illnesses ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Human Genome Project

In justifying the cost of the Human Genome Project, supporters predicted fantastic benefits would result from decoding the human genome: cures for fatal diseases, effective treatments for common illnesses burdening individuals and society and a greater understanding of ourselves as human beings. Fear that genetic information will be misused to harm individuals, however, casts a shadow over this glowing portrait of the future of genomic medicine. Over the last decade, these concerns have led approximately twenty-six states to enact genetic nondiscrimination laws. Although no similar law has been passed by Congress, many, including Francis Collins, Director of the National Center for Human Genome Research, have repeatedly endorsed proposed federal legislation aimed at prohibiting health insurers and employers from using predictive genetic information. The result has been growing bipartisan support for The Genetic Nondiscrimination in Health Insurance and Employment Act introduced in February of 2001 by Representative Louise Slaughter in the House and by Senators Kennedy and Daschle in the Senate.

scholarly journals Genomic Medicine

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
Kremema Star ◽  
Barbara Birshtein
Keyword(s):  
Human Genome ◽  
Human Disease ◽  
Human Genome Project ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Genomic Medicine ◽  
Genetic Material ◽  
Genome Project ◽  
The Human Genome Project

The human genome project created the field of genomics – understanding genetic material on a large scale. Scientists are deciphering the information held within the sequence of our genome. By building upon this knowledge, physicians and scientists will create fundamental new technologies to understand the contribution of genetics to diagnosis, prognosis, monitoring, and treatment of human disease. The science of genomic medicine has only begun to affect our understanding of health.

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