How cool would it be to have the ability to alter our bodies on a genetic level?
Think about it: if we had control over our genes and could flip on the beneficial ones and flip off the harmful ones, we might be able to extend our lifespans, combat diseases, enhance mental and physical performance, and who knows what else?
Research into genetics is constantly making fascinating strides of progress and discoveries that promise great things for humankind in the future. And this latest discovery is one I knew you’d want to hear about!
A team of Harvard, MIT, Yale, and Jackson Lab researchers in the US used an AI model to design thousands of “switches” that could be used to control genetic expression.
Genetic editing technology has given scientists the ability
RIGHT NOW to alter genes inside living cells, including the cells that make up our bodies. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to limit the effects of those alterations to just one cell or cell type. The risk of large bodies of cells, tissues, or even whole organs being affected makes genetic editing a challenge, to say the least.
But this new research discovered thousands of DNA switches, also called cis-regulatory elements (CREs), that could activate genes in specific body parts—for example, in the brain, the blood, or the liver—without activating those same genes in
other body parts.
When put to the test in live cells, these synthetic CREs proved even
more effective than the natural CREs already present in the cells and produced by the body. The result could be made so specific that only one cell type in a single location would be affected, while all cells everywhere else remained unchanged. For example, when tested on a zebrafish, one CRE activated a fluorescent protein that grew only in the fish’s liver, but was found nowhere else.
The technology is so new and so much more research needs to be done before it will come even close to use in humankind. But it highlights two important things: 1) that there is potential in the research for genetic editing that could benefit mankind, and 2) genetic expression plays a significant role in every aspect of our health.
While we’re still a long way off from this type of genetic “switching on and off”, the good news is that there are a lot of things you can do to naturally regulate gene expression. A number of things can trigger beneficial genetic changes in your body, including:
- A healthy diet. Research has highlighted diet as being one of the central factors in genetic expression, either for the beneficial or detrimental. A healthy plant-based diet will activate the genes that aid in the elimination of cellular junk, improve your internal cellular energy generation mechanisms, facilitate better communication between cells, and so much more.
- Exercise. Exercise triggers the genes that facilitate survival, which extend our lifespan and lead to the production of bone, muscle, organ, and brain tissue that keep us healthy and functioning as we age.
- Fasting. Fasting triggers autophagy, the body’s natural process to scavenge and eliminate the wastes that build up as a result of cellular production. High levels of cellular junk can contribute to everything from decreased organ function to accelerated cognitive decline. Triggering autophagy through fasting—for 24-48 hours, or using intermittent fasting—is a highly effective way to maintain healthy aging.
- Better sleep. A lack of sleep has been shown to directly and negatively impact genetic expression in the brain, which can interfere with its healthy function and accelerate cognitive decline. Regular deep sleep can reverse this impact and improve genetic expression to improve brain health.
- Stress management. Chronic stress can inhibit DNA expression and actually alter your body on a cellular level. This can lead to a “a cascade of downstream biological processes” that can seriously impair your health. Actively control your stress through meditation, exercise, mindfulness, and relaxation to protect your genes.
Do these five things every day, and you’ll naturally activate the genes that keep you healthy and ensure graceful aging.