In recent years, research has expanded the horizons of medical science, offering promising avenues for treating a range of conditions, such as obesity, anxiety, depression, pseudocholinesterase (BCHE) deficiency, pesticide/herbicide poisoning and more. These awesome developments hold the potential to transform healthcare and improve the lives of millions of people. Let’s delve into these exciting advancements!
What do all of these conditions have in common?
The Link: BChE
An enzyme known as Butyrylcholinesterase, or BChE for simplicity, is encoded by the BCHE gene. It has emerged as a pivotal player in all of these various health conditions. A deficiency in this enzyme is proving to cause a variety of health complications.
I’ve written much more detail about BChE here.
Review from my previous article:
- BCHE is a scavenger or detoxing enzyme.
- A deficiency is caused by genetic variants on the BCHE gene, or we can have an acquired deficiency.
- BChE enzymes help break down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, responsible for muscle contractions.
- BChE also breaks down substances like cocaine, certain types of anesthesia.
- BChE protects the brain from pesticides, herbicides, and the poisonous glycoalkaloids in nightshades.
- BChE breaks down ghrelin, the hunger hormone and is involved in fat accumulation.
- Low BCHE has been correlated with alcohol and drug dependance.
- Low BCHE is correlated with risk of death in many different disease states including Cvid, Cancer, Sepsis, major adverse cardiac events, severe trauma, coronary heart disease.
One thing is clear, WE DO NOT WANT TO HAVE LOW BCHE.
So how do we fix low BCHE?
Future Gene Therapy Treatment
Gene therapy is a method that uses genes to treat diseases. It has been applied to rare diseases caused by genetic mutations, and more recently to infectious diseases using antibodies delivered through viruses.
The technique being studied uses gene transfer to enhance BChE enzymes. The technique called viral gene transfer, which uses viruses to carry helpful genes into the body. This technique could potentially be used to address ALL of these disorders related to a deficiency of the BChE enzymes.
Researchers used viral gene transfer techniques to increase BChE levels in mice. This elevated BChE activity led to reduced levels of ghrelin and potential behavioral changes, such as reduced aggression and anxiety. The BCHE enhanced mice lived longer, healthier lives than the regular mice. That’s right, they biohacked these mice to live longer by altering the BCHE gene to increase BCHE enzymes.
Future Possibilities
The potential applications of gene therapy targeting BChE are immense.
Treatment for Obesity: Obesity is one of the pressing challenges in today’s society. Research suggests that BChE plays a role in breaking down ghrelin, the hunger hormone. The interplay between BChE and ghrelin has implications for hunger regulation, stress, anxiety, and emotional well-being. Individuals with low BChE activity may experience persistent hunger, contributing to obesity. Researchers are exploring gene therapy to help regulate appetite and metabolism, providing a potential solution to obesity.
Treatment for Emotional Disorders: Emotional disorders are another big challenge in today’s society. The study suggests that gene therapy might hold the key to treating emotional disorders, offering hope for individuals struggling with conditions such as depression and anxiety.
Treatment For Cocaine Addiction: BChE can break down cocaine, and researchers have enhanced its efficiency using gene manipulation. The idea is that with higher levels of BCHE, the addictive effects of cocaine could be reduced or diminished, leading to a decreased desire to use the drug.
Treatment for Pesticide & Herbicide Poisoning: BChE is a molecule that can neutralize pesticides and herbicides. The study demonstrates that gene therapy using AAV vectors can effectively increase BChE levels in mice, protecting them from the toxic effects of pesticides and herbicides exposure.
Treatment for Pseudocholinesterase Deficiency: Pseudocholinesterase deficiency, a genetic condition that impacts the body’s ability to break down certain types of anesthesia, and it can have serious medical implications. Genetic variations in the BCHE gene result in a deficiency of BChE enzymes, leading to complications during surgery and a need for breathing assistance post-operation. People with this deficiency can lead normal healthy lives, until certain drugs or toxins are introduced. The gene therapy treatment may be able to eliminate this problem.
Treatment for Chronic Pain: Researchers have not looked at BChE enhancement for treatment of chronic pain. However, it’s an area that needs to be explored.
Many of us with a BChE deficiency have discovered sensitivities to foods with alkaloids, such as nightshades and coffee. The reactions to nightshade foods in our community can vary greatly. Anxiety is the most common reaction from consuming nightshades, but many of us also struggled with insomnia or poor sleep, and chronic pain. The alkaloid content in these foods can vary depending on when it was picked and how it was stored, and the reaction may also take days to appear. This can make identifying nightshades as a trigger for chronic pain difficult to pinpoint.
Insufficient BChE activity disrupts the balance of acetylcholine, resulting in prolonged muscle contractions and spasms. This can contribute to discomfort such as pain, headaches, digestive problems, fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, and depression, underscoring the enzyme’s influence on various physiological processes. Future gene therapy increasing BChE could help with all of these symptoms and maybe some of us will be able to eat nightshades again.
In conclusion, the articles highlighted in this piece demonstrate the incredible strides being made in the realms of obesity, anxiety, depression, pesticide and herbicide poisoning, and BChE deficiency. These advancements not only showcase the potential of gene therapy but also emphasize the importance of continued research and innovation in medical science. As we look to the future, it’s exciting to imagine the positive impact these breakthroughs could have on global healthcare and the well-being of individuals worldwide.
In my next article we’ll dive into current gene therapy research, and we’ll look at potential timelines when these treatments could be available. What about natural ways to enhance BCHE? We’ll look at that too. Stay tuned and don’t forget to follow me on Facebook.
References:
The role of acetylcholine in negative encoding bias: too much of a good thing? – PMC (nih.gov)
