Browsing by Author "Ashworth, Alan"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    A genome-wide association study of early menopause and the combined impact of identified variants
    (Oxford University Press, 2013) Perry, John R. B.; Corre, Tanguy; Esko, Tõnu; Chasman, Daniel I.; Fischer, Krista; Franceschini, Nora; He, Chunyan; Kutalik, Zoltan; Mangino, Massimo; Rose, Lynda M.; Smith, Albert Vernon; Stolk, Lisette; Sulem, Patrick; Weedon, Michael N.; Zhuang, Wei V.; Arnold, Alice; Ashworth, Alan; Bergmann, Sven; Buring, Julie E.; Burri, Andrea; Chen, Constance; Cornelis, Marilyn C.; Couper, David J.; Goodarzi, Mark O.; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Harris, Tamara; Hofman, Albert; Jones, Michael; Kraft, Peter; Launer, Lenore; Laven, Joop S. E.; Li, Guo; McKnight, Barbara; Masciullo, Corrado; Milani, Lili; Orr, Nicholas; Psaty, Bruce M.; ReproGen Consortium; Ridker, Paul M.; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Sala, Cinzia; Salumets, Andres; Schoemaker, Minouk; Traglia, Michela; Waeber, Gérard; Chanock, Stephen J.; Demerath, Ellen W.; Garcia, Melissa; Hankinson, Susan E.; Hu, Frank B.; Hunter, David J.; Lunetta, Kathryn L.; Metspalu, Andres; Montgomery, Grant W.; Murabito, Joanne M.; Newman, Anne B.; Ong, Ken K.; Spector, Tim D.; Stefansson, Kari; Swerdlow, Anthony J.; Thorsteinsdottir, Unnur; Van Dam, Rob M.; Uitterlinden, André G.; Visser, Jenny A.; Vollenweider, Peter; Toniolo, Daniela; Murray, Anna; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Early menopause (EM) affects up to 10% of the female population, reducing reproductive lifespan considerably. Currently, it constitutes the leading cause of infertility in the western world, affecting mainly those women who postpone their first pregnancy beyond the age of 30 years. The genetic aetiology of EM is largely unknown in the majority of cases. We have undertaken a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWASs) in 3493 EM cases and 13 598 controls from 10 independent studies. No novel genetic variants were discovered, but the 17 variants previously associated with normal age at natural menopause as a quantitative trait (QT) were also associated with EM and primary ovarian insufficiency (POI). Thus, EM has a genetic aetiology which overlaps variation in normal age at menopause and is at least partly explained by the additive effects of the same polygenic variants. The combined effect of the common variants captured by the single nucleotide polymorphism arrays was estimated to account for ∼30% of the variance in EM. The association between the combined 17 variants and the risk of EM was greater than the best validated non-genetic risk factor, smoking.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Klotho and the Treatment of Human Malignancies
    (MDPI, 2020-06-23) Sachdeva, Aishani; Gouge, Jerome; Kontovounisios, Christos; Nikolaou, Stella; Ashworth, Alan; Lim, Kenneth; Chong, Irene; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Klotho was first discovered as an anti-ageing protein linked to a number of age-related disease processes, including cardiovascular, renal, musculoskeletal, and neurodegenerative conditions. Emerging research has also demonstrated a potential therapeutic role for Klotho in cancer biology, which is perhaps unsurprising given that cancer and ageing share similar molecular hallmarks. In addition to functioning as a tumour suppressor in numerous solid tumours and haematological malignancies, Klotho represents a candidate therapeutic target for patients with these diseases, the majority of whom have limited treatment options. Here, we examine contemporary evidence evaluating the anti-neoplastic effects of Klotho and describe the modulation of downstream oncogenic signalling pathways, including Wnt/β-catenin, FGF, IGF1, PIK3K/AKT, TGFβ, and the Unfolded Protein Response. We also discuss possible approaches to developing therapeutic Klotho and consider technological advances that may facilitate the delivery of Klotho through gene therapy.