Health scientists initially viewed the loss of Y chromosomes as a natural process of aging—like graying hair and the development of wrinkles—and believed that losing Y chromosomes had no clinical relevance. However, this viewpoint has changed as researchers report that losing Y chromosomes actually does affect men’s health.
A study was performed on genetically-engineered male mice to lose their Y chromosomes to look for any support for this possibility. On Thursday, a paper published in the journal Science revealed the researchers’ discoveries. They found that when Y chromosomes were absent from the blood cells of the mice, scar tissue built up in the subjects’ hearts, leading to heart failure and shortened life spans.
“Because there was a direct cause-and-effect relationship between the loss of Y and ailments of aging in the mice, the study bolsters the notion that the same thing can happen in human males,” wrote Gina Kolata, a science journalist for The New York Times.
Researchers have recorded the increased risk for chronic diseases—such as heart disease and cancer-related disorders—due to the loss of Y chromosomes in many studies over time.
“The loss of Y could even account for some of the difference between the life spans of men and women,” the authors of the Science study said.
Other investigators of this science mystery not associated with the work were electrified by this finding.
“The authors really nailed it here,” said Dr. Ross Levine, the deputy physician in chief for translational research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. “It’s super important work.”
When Lars Forsberg, a researcher at Uppsala University, encountered a former professor on a bus in Upsala, Sweden, in 2013, Forsberg was inspired to start new research. The professor told Dr. Forsberg that Y chromosomes in fruit flies were more relevant than ever before.
From Forsberg’s research, he found that, “At least 40 percent of males lose the Y chromosome from some of their blood cells by age 70. And by age 93, at least 57 percent have lost some of it,” wrote Kolata. “The chromosome is lost sporadically from blood cells during cell division, when it is kicked out of some cells and then disintegrates. The result is what researchers call a mosaic loss of Y.”
No medical knowledge is currently available that might reduce the risk of losing Y chromosomes. The condition is not associated with men having lower levels of testosterone in their bodies as they age. So, researchers do not think that taking testosterone supplements would reverse or alleviate the condition.
Sources: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1658069737769x909187458978607700/As%20Y%20Chromosomes%20Vanish%20With%20Age%2C%20Heart%20Risks%20May%20Grow%20-%20The%20New%20York%20Times.pdf
A study was performed on genetically-engineered male mice to lose their Y chromosomes to look for any support for this possibility. On Thursday, a paper published in the journal Science revealed the researchers’ discoveries. They found that when Y chromosomes were absent from the blood cells of the mice, scar tissue built up in the subjects’ hearts, leading to heart failure and shortened life spans.
“Because there was a direct cause-and-effect relationship between the loss of Y and ailments of aging in the mice, the study bolsters the notion that the same thing can happen in human males,” wrote Gina Kolata, a science journalist for The New York Times.
Researchers have recorded the increased risk for chronic diseases—such as heart disease and cancer-related disorders—due to the loss of Y chromosomes in many studies over time.
“The loss of Y could even account for some of the difference between the life spans of men and women,” the authors of the Science study said.
Other investigators of this science mystery not associated with the work were electrified by this finding.
“The authors really nailed it here,” said Dr. Ross Levine, the deputy physician in chief for translational research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. “It’s super important work.”
When Lars Forsberg, a researcher at Uppsala University, encountered a former professor on a bus in Upsala, Sweden, in 2013, Forsberg was inspired to start new research. The professor told Dr. Forsberg that Y chromosomes in fruit flies were more relevant than ever before.
From Forsberg’s research, he found that, “At least 40 percent of males lose the Y chromosome from some of their blood cells by age 70. And by age 93, at least 57 percent have lost some of it,” wrote Kolata. “The chromosome is lost sporadically from blood cells during cell division, when it is kicked out of some cells and then disintegrates. The result is what researchers call a mosaic loss of Y.”
No medical knowledge is currently available that might reduce the risk of losing Y chromosomes. The condition is not associated with men having lower levels of testosterone in their bodies as they age. So, researchers do not think that taking testosterone supplements would reverse or alleviate the condition.
Sources: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1658069737769x909187458978607700/As%20Y%20Chromosomes%20Vanish%20With%20Age%2C%20Heart%20Risks%20May%20Grow%20-%20The%20New%20York%20Times.pdf
