The enemy within: Microbes and genes

• Main Author: Vadivelu, Jamuna
• Format: Book
• Published: Universiti Malaya 2009
• Subjects: Q Science (General); R Medicine (General)
• Online Access: http://commonrepo.um.edu.my/13430/1/Inaugural%20Lecture%20Professor%20Dr%20Jamuna%20%201.pdf; http://commonrepo.um.edu.my/13430/

Life as we know would not exist without bacteria to decompose waste and dead organisms. These bacteria ensure that the cycle of chemical exchange between organisms and their environment is continuous. The environment plays a critical role as a source for the emergence of pathogens and in the manifestation, course, and prognosis of human and animal diseases. Bacteria survive in a host of environmental niches such as soil, surface waters, plants, and in humans. In each of these niches they have specific roles in order to survive. Amongst environmental factors the physiological characteristics, temperature and humidity are critical. In the host, the pathogen is faced with the same ordeal of having to cope with the host physiological parameters as well as the immune system. In order to initiate pathogenesis a bacterium must enter, attach, colonise, multiply and spread. Once the bacterium enters it attaches to specific receptors on the target cell by means of adhesive factors to establish and colonise, and some may survive intracellularly for long periods of time. Various proteins are then secreted to initiate the process of survival within the host. These proteins have diverse biological functions ranging from host cell toxicity to more subtle alterations of the host cell for the benefit of the invader and are of immense value for diagnostic markers, drug design and vaccine development. Important questions directed throughout the course research include: Is the environment a source for some of the pathogens addressed? What are the factors that favour survival of the pathogen in the environment and in the host and where are the occult foci in the host? What are the bacterial proteins that aid the bacterium to invade and survive? More recently, with the availability of the human genome, on the horizon is a new era of molecular medicine characterized less by treating symptoms and more by looking to the most fundamental causes of disease. Rapid and more specific diagnostic, tests can make possible earlier treatment of countless maladies. In addition it would be possible to devise novel therapeutic regimens based on new classes of drug , immunotherapy techniques, and avoidance of environmental conditions that may trigger disease, and possible augmentation or even replacement of defective genes through gene therapy. Questions have been directed to two diseases, familial hypercholesterolemia and diabetes mellitus. What are the gene polymorphisms that have occurred within our diverse population in Malaysia among genes for both these diseases? From this information can we target personalized medicine to individuals?