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Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups

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News, Analysis, Trends, Management Innovations for
Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups

Hosted by Robert Michel
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Washington University Researchers Uses Medical Laboratory Test Results and Big Data to Find Accelerated Aging and Risk of Early Cancer in Young Adults

Study shows that computer analysis of clinical laboratory test results has improved greatly in recent years

Studies using “big data” continue to show how combining different types of healthcare information can generate insights not available with smaller datasets. In this case, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine (WashU Medicine), St. Louis, Mo., determined that—by using the results from nine different types of clinical laboratory tests—they could correlate those test results to younger people who had “aged faster” and had developed cancer earlier than usual, according to CNN.

“Accumulating evidence suggests that the younger generations may be aging more swiftly than anticipated, likely due to earlier exposure to various risk factors and environmental insults. However, the impact of accelerated aging on early-onset cancer development remains unclear,” said Ruiyi Tian, PhD candidate at WashU Medicine’s Yin Cao Lab in an American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) news release.

The scientists presented their findings, which have not yet been published, at the AACR’s annual meeting held in April. Tian and the other researchers “hypothesized that increased biological age, indicative of accelerated aging, may contribute to the development of early-onset cancers, often defined as cancers diagnosed in adults younger than 55 years. In contrast to chronological age—which measures how long a person has been alive—biological age refers to the condition of a person’s body and physiological processes and is considered modifiable,” AACR noted in a news release.

“We all know cancer is an aging disease. However, it is really coming to a younger population. So, whether we can use the well-developed concept of biological aging to apply that to the younger generation is a really untouched area,” Yin Cao, ScD MPH (above), associate professor of surgery and associate professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and senior author of the study, told CNN. Analysis of clinical laboratory test results using computer algorithms continues to show value for new research into deadly diseases. (Photo copyright: Washington University.)

Lab Tests Share Insights about Aging

To acquire the data they needed for their research, the WashU Medicine scientists turned to the UK Biobank, a biomedical and research resource with genetic and health information on half a million UK residents.

The researchers reviewed the medical records of 148,724 biobank participants, age 37 to 54, focusing on nine blood-based biomarkers that “have been shown to correlate with biological age,” CNN reported. Those biomarkers are:

According to CNN, the researchers “plugged” the nine values into an algorithm called PhenoAge. Using the algorithm they compared the biological ages with each person’s actual chronological age to determine “accelerated aging.” They then consulted cancer registries to capture data on those in the study who were diagnosed with cancer before age 55. They found 3,200 cases.

Young Adults Aging Faster than Earlier Generations

According to the AACR news release, the WashU Medicine study found that:

  • “Individuals born in or after 1965 had a 17% higher likelihood of accelerated aging than those born between 1950 and 1954.
  • “Each standard deviation increase in accelerated aging was associated with a 42% increased risk of early-onset lung cancer, a 22% increased risk of early-onset gastrointestinal cancer, and a 36% increased risk of early-onset uterine cancer.
  • “Accelerated aging did not significantly impact the risk of late-onset lung cancer (defined here as cancer diagnosed after age 55), but it was associated with a 16% and 23% increased risk of late-onset gastrointestinal and uterine cancers, respectively.”

“We speculate that common pathways, such as chronic inflammation and cellular senescence, may link accelerated aging to the development of early-onset cancers,” the study’s principal investigator Yin Cao, ScD, MPH, associate professor of surgery and associate professor of medicine at WashU Medicine, told The Hill.

“Historically, both cancer and aging have been viewed primarily as concerns for older populations. The realization that cancer, and now aging, are becoming significant issues for younger demographics over the past decades was unexpected,” Tian told Fox News.

More Screenings, Further Analysis

The study’s results may suggest a change in clinical laboratory screenings for younger people.

“We see cancers earlier all the time now, and nobody knows why. The subset in the population that has accelerated aging may need screening more often or earlier,” Emanuela Taioli, MD, PhD, professor of population health and science and of thoracic surgery, and director of the Institute for Translational Epidemiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, told Health.

In future studies, WashU Medicine scientists may aim to include groups of greater diversity and explore why people are aging faster and have risk of early-onset cancers. 

“There is room to improve using better technologies. Looking at the bigger picture, the aging concept can be applied to younger people to include cancers, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes,” Cao told Discover Magazine.

While more research is needed, use of the UK’s Biobank of healthcare data—including clinical laboratory test results—enabled the WashU Medicine researchers to determine that accelerated aging among young adults is happening with some regularity. This shows that capabilities in computer analysis are gaining more refined capabilities and are able to tease out insights impossible to achieve with earlier generations of analytical software.

These findings should inspire clinical laboratory professionals and pathologists to look for opportunities to collaborate in healthcare big data projects involving their patients and the communities they serve.

—Donna Marie Pocius

Related Information:

Accelerated Aging May Increase the Risk of Early-onset Cancers in Younger Generations

Accelerated Aging Linked to Cancer Risk in Younger Adults, Research Shows

An Epigenetic Biomarker of Aging for Lifespan and Health Span in Aging

Accelerated Aging May be a Cause of Increased Cancers in People under 55

Cancer Rates Rising in Young People Due to “Accelerated Aging,” New Study Finds

Research Shows Accelerated Aging Linked to Increased Cancer Risk in Younger Adults

Rate of Biological Aging is Accelerating in Young People, Leading to Medical Issues

Asian Company Launches World’s First Diagnostic Test for Microbiome of the Mouth

Collected data could give healthcare providers and clinical laboratories a practical view of individuals’ oral microbiota and lead to new diagnostic assays

When people hear about microbiome research, they usually think of the study of gut bacteria which Dark Daily has covered extensively. However, this type of research is now expanding to include more microbiomes within the human body, including the oral microbiome—the microbiota living in the human mouth. 

One example is coming from Genefitletics, a biotech company based in New Delhi, India. It recently launched ORAHYG, the first and only (they claim) at-home oral microbiome functional activity test available in Asia. The company is targeting the direct-to-consumer (DTC) testing market.

According to the Genefitletics website, the ORAHYG test can decode the root causes of:

The test can also aid in the early detection development of:

“Using oral microbial gene expression sequencing technology and its [machine learning] model, [Genefitletics] recently debuted its oral microbiome gene expression solution, which bridges the gap between dentistry and systemic inflammation,” ETHealthworld reported.

“The molecular insights from this test would give an unprecedented view of functions of the oral microbiome, their interaction with gut microbiome and impact on metabolic, cardiovascular, cognitive, skin, and autoimmune health,” BioSpectrum noted.

Sushant Kumar

“Microbes, the planet Earth’s original inhabitants, have coevolved with humanity, carry out vital biological tasks inside the body, and fundamentally alter how we think about nutrition, medicine, cleanliness, and the environment,” Sushant Kumar (above), founder and CEO of Genefitletics, told the Economic Times. “This has sparked additional research over the past few years into the impact of the trillions of microorganisms that inhabit the human body on our health and diverted tons of funding into the microbiome field.” Clinical laboratories may eventually see an interest and demand for testing of the oral microbiome. (Photo copyright: ETHealthworld.)


Imbalanced Oral Microbiome Can Trigger Disease

The term microbiome refers to the tiny microorganisms that reside on and inside our bodies. A high colonization of these microorganisms—including bacteria, fungi, yeast, viruses, and protozoa—live in our mouths.

“Mouth is the second largest and second most diverse colonized site for microbiome with 770 species comprising 100 billion microbes residing there,” said Sushant Kumar, founder and CEO of Genefitletics, BioSpectrum reported. “Each place inside the mouth right from tongue, throat, saliva, and upper surface of mouth have a distinctive and unique microbiome ecosystem. An imbalanced oral microbiome is said to trigger onset and progression of type 2 diabetes, arthritis, heart diseases, and even dementia.”

The direct-to-consumer ORAHYG test uses a saliva sample taken either by a healthcare professional or an individual at home. That sample is then sequenced through Genefitletics’ gene sequencing platform and the resulting biological data set added to an informatics algorithm.

Genefitletics’ machine-learning platform next converts that information into a pre-symptomatic molecular signature that can predict whether an individual will develop a certain disease. Genefitletics then provides that person with therapeutic and nutritional solutions that can suppress the molecules that are causing the disease. 

“The current industrial healthcare system is really a symptom care [system] and adopts a pharmaceutical approach to just make the symptoms more bearable,” Kumar told the Economic Times. “The system cannot decode the root cause to determine what makes people develop diseases.”

Helping People Better Understand their Health

Founded in 2019, Genefitletics was created to pioneer breakthrough discoveries in microbial science to promote better health and increase longevity in humans. The company hopes to unravel the potential of the oral microbiome to help people fend off illness and gain insight into their health. 

“Microorganisms … perform critical biological functions inside the body and transform our approach towards nutrition, medicine, hygiene and environment,” Kumar told CNBC. “It is important to understand that an individual does not develop a chronic disease overnight.

“It starts with chronic inflammation which triggers pro-inflammatory molecular indications. Unfortunately, these molecular signatures are completely invisible and cannot be measured using traditional clinical grade tests or diagnostic investigations,” he added. “These molecular signatures occur due to alteration in gene expression of gut, oral, or vaginal microbiome and/or human genome. We have developed algorithms that help us in understanding these alterations way before the clinical symptoms kick in.” 

Genefitletics plans to utilize individuals’ collected oral microbiome data to determine their specific nutritional shortcomings, and to develop personalized supplements to help people avoid disease.

The company also produces DTC kits that analyze gut and vaginal microbiomes as well as a test that is used to evaluate an infant’s microbiome.

“The startup wants to develop comparable models to forecast conditions like autism, PCOS [polycystic ovarian syndrome], IBD [Inflammatory bowel disease], Parkinson’s, chronic renal [kidney] disease, anxiety, depression, and obesity,” the Economic Times reported.

Time will tell whether the oral microbiome tests offered by this company prove to be clinically useful. Certainly Genefitletics hopes its ORAHYG test can eventually provide healthcare providers—including clinical laboratory professionals—with a useful view of the oral microbiome. The collected data might also help individuals become aware of pre-symptomatic conditions that make it possible for them to seek confirmation of the disease and early treatment by medical professionals.   

—JP Schlingman

Related Information:

Genefitletics Brings Asia’s First Oral Microbiome Test ORAHYG

Let’s Focus on the Role of Microbiomes in Systemic Inflammation and Disease Development: Sushant Kumar, Genefitletics

Genefitletics Can Now Predict and Detect Chronic Diseases and Cancer

Genefitletics Can Now Predict and Detect Chronic Diseases and Cancer

Healthtech Startup Genefitletics Raises Undisclosed Amount in Pre-seed Funding

Understanding Oral Microbiome Testing: What You Need to Know

Genetic Testing and Counseling Now Offered to Amway Employees Through a New Interleukin Test for Periodontal Disease called PerioPredict

Companies are exploring creative ways to use genetic testing and counseling to improve the health of their employees demonstrating increasing trust in genetic science

Genetic testing has been a product offered by distributors of Amway Global of Ada, Mich., since 2009. Now Amway is launching a program to provide certain genetic tests to its employees working within the United States.

More than 5,000 Amway employees can take advantage of this genetic testing as an innovative benefit. Through its partnership with Interleukin Genetics (NYSE Amex: ILI), a genetics-based health company headquartered in Waltham, Mass., Amway seeks to empower its personnel to assess their genetic risk for chronic inflammation, which can lead to disease. (more…)

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