By Shane de Barra
Our genes have their work cut out for them.
New research published today has revealed that genes linked to the front line of our immune systems have over many generations had to develop ten times faster than other genes to keep disease and infection at bay.
The study which was carried out by the University of Edinburgh has for the first time shown how quickly the immune system has to work to keep up with the ever increasing threat from infections and viruses that grows at a similar rate, rendering our bodies genetic battlefields. Genes in linked to immunity are in constant battle with infection and even those not on the front line have to work at twice the normal rate to keep on an even keel with unwanted foreign bodies.
In an announcement by the University of Edinburgh today, Dr. Darren Obbard of the School of Biological Sciences, said: “We knew that some immunity genes changed faster than others, but this is the first time we’ve really been able to quantify how much faster”.
The study, published PLoS Genetics, is a collaborative work with the Universities of Sheffield and Cambridge and also received the backing of the Royal Society, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Wellcome Trust.
