(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Ageing causes modifications to DNA and smoking tobacco leads to similar changes to people's genes, a study undertaken at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q) by Qatari PhD students Mashael al-Shafai and Wadha al-Muftah has stressed.
With this, researchers at WCMC-Q have successfully conducted the first fully Qatar-based study on the effects of smoking and ageing on the genetic material.
The project is the first study of its kind to be based on samples drawn entirely from an Arab population, as previous research in this area has generally focused on Caucasians.
Al-Shafai and al-Muftah are both working at WCMC-Q through the Qatar Science Leadership Programme (QSLP), a Qatar Foundation initiative that supports talented Qatari graduates to help them build careers in science and research. They carried out their research project with support from a team of graduate and senior scientists at WCMC-Q and Imperial College London.
Titled "Association of DNA methylation with age, gender and smoking in an Arab population", the paper has been published in the highly regarded medical journal - 'Clinical Epigenetics' - and marks a significant success for both QSLP and WCMC-Q.
"We applied state-of-the-art techniques in many areas and managed to successfully replicate findings from studies on Caucasians. Our study encourages further research efforts to accommodate under-explored populations, including Arab populations," said al-Shafai.
The study involved taking blood samples from 123 Qatari adults, 13 of whom were smokers. The DNA strands contained in the blood samples were then analysed to discover their level of DNA methylation, a natural process of gene modification that makes growth and development of cells possible.
While methylation occurs naturally as part of the ageing process, it can also be caused by environmental factors, such as exposure to tobacco smoke. DNA methylation is also known to be associated with the growth of most forms of cancer.
The researchers were able to conclude that studying DNA methylation is a powerful tool for conducting genetic studies in non-Caucasian populations, opening the door for further important research focusing on a diverse range of ethnic populations.
"Working on this paper has enhanced my knowledge of the subject and allowed me to learn new analytical skills that I can apply in future studies," said al-Muftah.
Support was provided to al-Shafai and al-Muftah by WCMC-Q researchers Dr Shaza Zaghool, senior bioinformatics data specialist, and Dr Pankaj Kumar, research associate in physiology and biophysics. The team was supervised by senior researchers Dr Karsten Suhre, director of the Bioinformatics Core at WCMC-Q, and Dr Mario Falchi of the Department of Genomics of Common Disease at Imperial College London.
Based on data collected in the study and using state-of-the-art technology, the team was able to predict accurately the age of a person to within seven years, based on analysis of just a single drop of their blood.
Applauding the efforts of the research team, Dr Suhre said: "The findings of the research project are very exciting and I am very happy to congratulate Mashael and Wadha for the level of professionalism they have shown at this early stage in their career."
Dr Khaled Machaca, associate dean for research at WCMC-Q, said: "This paper is a fantastic achievement by two of our Qatari PhD students, Mashael al-Shafai and Wadha al-Muftah, supported by our own dedicated team of researchers."
The full text of the publication can be found online by following this link: http://www.clinicalepigeneticsjournal.com/content/7/1/6
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