My friends,
last week I talked about gout, Charles II of England, and bloodletting. Today,
I want to talk about gout again, and about a potential way to prevent it.
Gout is a
painful condition caused by a build-up of uric acid in the blood. When levels
get too high, the uric acid forms sharp, needle-like crystals in the joints.
The immune system attacks these crystals, and that causes severe pain and
inflammation. It affects millions of people worldwide.
There are
treatments, but they don't work for everyone, and some patients develop adverse
reactions to synthetic uricase. So we need a better way to prevent the disease.
Now, gout is
often blamed on too much alcohol or an unhealthy diet. But think back to my
maternal grandfather. He drank a bottle of beer every day and ate plenty of
meat, yet he stayed slim until he passed away in 2022. And he never suffered
from gout.
Why? New
studies suggest that genetics plays a much bigger role than we once thought.
Gout is one
of humanity's oldest diseases, yet it's very rare in most other mammals,
because they still have a functional uricase gene. Humans and other apes lost
theirs millions of years ago.
Some
researchers believe this loss may even have helped us at the time: higher uric
acid levels can help turn fruit sugar into fat, a survival advantage during
food shortages.
So, you
guessed it: perhaps my grandfather had a more active version of this gene.
Maybe. Who knows?
What we do
know is that uricase breaks down uric acid in the blood, preventing crystals
from forming in the joints and kidneys. Those crystals cause gout, kidney
disease, and other health problems.
And here's
the good news. In a study published in Scientific Reports, researchers
used gene editing to bring this ancient gene back to life in the lab, and it
successfully lowered uric acid levels.
Their
findings suggest the approach could work safely in living systems, not just in
isolated cells. And by lowering uric acid, multiple diseases might be prevented
at once.
Great news,
isn't it? I think so. But what's your take, my friends? Please share your
thoughts in the comments. Thank you.
Watch the video here:
or watch it on Substack: https://judyfaylondon.substack.com/p/how-reviving-a-20-million-year-old
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