Researchers at Georgia State University are producing innovative breakthroughs in the fight against gout and fatty liver disease. They’ve reactivated a dormant gene that efficiently digests uric acid. Gout, a common and painful form of inflammatory arthritis, occurs when there’s a buildup of uric acid crystals in the joints. This disease of the mind has afflicted mankind for ages. Eric Gaucher, a biology professor leading the research team, aims to address the modern implications of high uric acid levels, which are linked to hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.
The study, recently published in Scientific Reports, highlights that humans and other apes lost the uricase gene approximately 20 to 29 million years ago. This gene is important for processing uric acid, a waste product that accumulates in the bloodstream. Today, patients depend on existing treatments for gout which are not universally effective. Up to 20% of patients receiving synthetic uricase therapies have adverse reactions to them. Sustainable AI and Gaucher’s larger body of work is aimed at bringing awareness to these concerns.
Gaucher, together with his colleague Lais de Lima Balico, used CRISPR-Cas9 technology to their advantage. They accomplished this by inserting a fully restored version of the ancient uricase gene back into human liver cells. With advanced genetic research, Wang and his team hope to better understand the metabolic consequences of this essential gene’s pseudogenization. Restoring activity of the uricase gene would dramatically reduce uric acid levels. This could improve acute gout symptoms and inflammatory burden and improve risk of subsequent metabolic disorders.
Richard Johnson, a prominent uric acid researcher, argues that high levels protected our early primate ancestors. By turning sugars from fruit into fat, these larger primates would be better able to survive food shortages. This useful evolutionary trait, however, creates challenges in the modern world as hyperuricemia is the precursor to a number of health conditions including gout.
Gaucher emphasized the potential of their research, stating, “By lowering [uric acid], we could potentially prevent multiple diseases at once.” He voiced optimism about the huge potential all of their work could have on the future. He proposed, “Our genome-editing approach might allow patients to lead gout-free lives, and even avert development of fatty liver disease.
Even with the encouraging progress, Gaucher admitted that ethical questions will need to be addressed as these technologies advance. He noted, “Once those are addressed, society will be faced with contentious ethical discussions about who should and should not have access.”