{"id":407280,"date":"2025-09-08T07:44:14","date_gmt":"2025-09-08T07:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/407280\/"},"modified":"2025-09-08T07:44:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T07:44:14","slug":"tiny-dna-caps-could-hold-clues-to-heart-disease-cancer-among-filipinos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/407280\/","title":{"rendered":"Tiny DNA caps could hold clues to heart disease, cancer among Filipinos"},"content":{"rendered":"

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THE KEY to how long we live may lie at the very tips of our chromosomes, according to scientists. These protective caps, called \u201ctelomeres,\u201d act like the plastic ends of shoelaces, keeping DNA strands from fraying each time a cell divides.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Telomeres however shorten with age, weakening the body\u2019s ability to repair itself. Today, these tiny DNA caps are one of the most closely watched \u201cclocks of aging.\u201d<\/p>\n

UST researchers have concluded the first large-scale Filipino study examining telomere length and its relationship to aging and chronic illness.<\/p>\n

Their findings showed that individuals with cardiovascular diseases were found to have significantly shorter telomeres, while cancer patients showed longer ones.<\/p>\n

The research, \u201cTelomere Length Variation in a Filipino Population from Luzon: Implications for Aging and Health,\u201d was conducted by medical biology alumnus Jerome Alfred Tabajonda, Dr. Carl Tan and Dr. Flordeluna Mesina of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, and biological sciences professors Maureen Sabit and Pia Albano.<\/p>\n

The team analyzed blood samples from 615 participants across Luzon using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), a molecular technique that amplifies DNA to estimate telomere length.<\/p>\n

This method allowed the researchers to calculate the number of DNA \u201crepeats\u201d that form telomeres, which are repetitive sequences at chromosome ends.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese specialized structures act like a biological \u2018clock\u2019 or \u2018biomarker of aging,\u2019 as their gradual shortening reflects the passage of time in our cells,\u201d Tabajonda told the Varsitarian<\/b>.<\/p>\n

\u201cA useful way to picture this is to think of the plastic tips on shoelaces. Just as those caps prevent laces from fraying, telomeres protect chromosomes from unraveling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Each time a cell divides, telomeres shorten slightly until reaching a critically low length, leaving DNA exposed to damage and cell death. This natural process is closely linked to aging and age-related diseases.<\/p>\n

While telomere biology has been extensively studied in Western and East Asian populations, Tabajonda noted that research in the Philippines remains limited, where unique genetics, environment, and cultural practices may influence aging and disease.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout population-specific data, the unique patterns of aging and disease susceptibility among Filipinos remain largely invisible,\u201d Tabajonda said.<\/p>\n

The study found no significant connection between telomere length and demographic or lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, or body mass index. However, cardiovascular patients consistently had shorter telomeres, while cancer patients displayed longer ones.<\/p>\n

To enhance the analysis, the researchers employed machine learning models that achieved over 85% accuracy in predicting risks for chronic illnesses, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression, and allergy-related conditions.<\/p>\n

Using SHAP (Shapley Additive Explanations), they pinpointed the factors most strongly influencing the predictions, improving model transparency for healthcare applications.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis approach demonstrates how combining telomere biology with artificial intelligence can strengthen disease risk assessment and contribute to personalized medicine,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

If further validated, telomere testing could eventually be incorporated into hospital checkups, allowing earlier disease detection and more effective preventive care.<\/p>\n

The team emphasized the importance of longitudinal studies tracking telomere shortening over time, as well as research across diverse Filipino subpopulations to reflect the country\u2019s ethnic and regional diversity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tabajonda urged future researchers to expand telomere studies in the Philippines by including genetic testing, telomerase activity, oxidative stress markers, and advanced modeling techniques.<\/p>\n

In 2023, UST partnered with Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital and Medical Center in Taiwan for a clinical trial and telomere workshop, which provided the team with training, resources, and methodological guidance.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The study, currently awaiting publication, won second place in the oral research paper category at the 18th Philippine National Health Research System Week Celebration on Aug. 14-15. M.D.S. Santos<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"THE KEY to how long we live may lie at the very tips of our chromosomes, according to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":407281,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3846],"tags":[267,70,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-407280","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-genetics","8":"tag-genetics","9":"tag-science","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115167563907524769","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/407280","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=407280"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/407280\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/407281"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=407280"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=407280"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=407280"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}