A little farmyard dust might the difference in bolstering against asthma and allergies, <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-1282 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/amish-300x223.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="223" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/amish-300x223.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/amish.jpg 350w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />according to a study published in the<a href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1508749#t=articleDiscussion"> New England Journal of Medicine.</a>
Although the study was very small, it lends some additional evidence to the so-called “<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2841828/">hygiene hypothesis</a>.” That theory suggests that the surge in allergies and asthma among modern children may have something to do with the increasingly sanitized environments in which they live.
It’s important to note, however, that the development of asthma and allergies is complicated. It involves many factors both environmental and<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/new-genetic-associations-found-for-allergies-and-asthma/"> genetic</a>. Asthma and allergies, which are strongly linked to each other, are among the most common diseases in the industrialized world.
<h6>Genes and Environment</h6>
23andMe has done several studies looking specifically at the<a href="http://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749%2813%2901643-6/abstract"> genetic associations</a> around allergies and asthma. But researchers have spent several years trying to unravel the cause of the surge in these conditions. This is just the latest study that has pointed to the hyper-clean environment among modern societies that might offer some explanation.
A<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26339029"> similar study</a> done last year, by researchers in Belgium, looked at allergies among children who grew up on European dairy farms.
This new study, done by researchers at the University of Chicago, focused on differences in asthma and allergy rates among the Amish and Hutterite farming families. Although the two Christian sects are similar in their isolation and ethnicities, their farming practices are distinct. The Hutterites embrace modern agricultural technics. The Amish decidedly old-school with most everything done by hand and plows pulled by animals.
“Our study in a small number of children was sufficient to show significant differences in the prevalence of asthma and in immune profiles,&#8221; the researchers said in the paper. &#8220;(This) suggesting that very strong environmental factors must account for these differences.”
<h6>Dust</h6>
The “very strong environmental” differences referred to in the study was the high level of bacteria in the dust in Amish family environs. The researchers looked at both the content of that dust – even taking samples and exposing mice to the dust – and they also looked at blood samples from children in both groups.
What they found was evidence that the constant low-grade exposure to microbes in the dust, appeared to boost the Amish children immune response. Those children had higher levels neutrophils, a type of white blood cell involved in the body’s innate immune response. They also showed signs of other proteins involved in the body’s inflammatory response.
Some of these findings may help research into treatments or other therapies for asthma and allergies.

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

Dirt Don’t Hurt

Researchers know that certain genes, or more accurately regions in our genes, are <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-23879" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/traits-300x149.jpg" alt="traits" width="300" height="149" />multitaskers, influencing a wide variety of traits and conditions that range from such things as the size of our noses to our susceptibility to childhood ear infections to our risk for Parkinson’s disease.


A new study led by researchers at the <a href="https://www.nygenome.org/">New York Genome Center</a> and 23andMe analyzed 42 different traits and identified more than 300 locations in the genome that influence multiple traits and conditions. The study, <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ng.3570" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">published in Nature Genetics</a>, was supported through a grant from the National Institutes of Health.
It’s not news that a single genetic variant may influence multiple traits and conditions. There’s even a name for this in genetics: pleiotropy. But <a href="http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/46094/title/Genetic-Connections-Among-Human-Traits/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">this research</a> took that one step further going beyond the mere correlation and developing a method to identify the biological relationships between traits to show causal connections.
“While genomic studies have been successful in identifying genetic variants that influence disease risk, it’s important to understand the impact of genetic variants across many diseases,&#8221; said <a href="https://jkplab.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Joseph Pickrell</a>, PhD, the lead author of the study and an assistant investigator at New York Genome Institute.
Pickerll is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Columbia University.
He said genetic variants may be influence many different conditions in different ways.


&#8220;For example, if a genetic variant decreases risk of schizophrenia but increases risk of Parkinson’s disease, drugs that target this gene may have unintended consequences,&#8221; Pickrell said.


Excluding so-called “trivial” correlations, the researchers identified several different clusters, some of which showed causal relationships. This causal relationship might be direct, so for example a single genetic variant might influence many different traits or conditions, or a variant might influence one trait or condition and that in turn leads to another trait or condition.
Researchers in this study found that variants known to influence puberty also influence height, male pattern baldness and BMI, which are all related to hormonal regulation. Another cluster was found around metabolic conditions such as coronary artery disease, red blood cell traits and lipid levels. And researchers also noted clustering around immune response with conditions like asthma, allergies, Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and infectious diseases like childhood ear infections and tonsillitis clustering together.


The researchers say their study validates the use of genome wide association studies to find variants that influence many different traits. In turn identifying them may also help to highlight true causal relationships by bringing into sharp relief the biology behind certain conditions. Although the researchers say they have only identified a modest number of variants that causally influence multiple traits and conditions, they suggest that a larger study would uncover many more.
Finally this study also highlights the value of the mix of data 23andMe customers share for research, which includes not just genotypic data from detailed phenotypic information.
This allowed 23andMe to contribute to this study by including information from more than 300,000 customers who consented to research.
This is valuable information for researchers who can tap into a wide range of phenotypes as varied as allergies and asthma or the timing of puberty or whether they have chin dimples or had a lot of ear infections as a child. It’s this kind of rich data that can lead to unexpected insights that 23andMe is uniquely able provide scientists.


“This study illustrates the value of collecting not just genotypic data but a wide variety of phenotypic data, something that 23andMe is uniquely able to do,” said co-author David Hinds, PhD,  principal scientist, statistical genetics at 23andMe.  “The ability to study this type of rich phenotypic and genotypic data at scale makes it possible to uncover unexpected insights.”


The study appears in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ng/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ng.3570.html#access" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nature Genetics</a>.

Genetic variants found to influence multiple traits and conditions

We might not give Neanderthals much respect, but modern humans probably owe our <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-23459" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Neanderthal-Image-247x300.jpg" alt="Neanderthal Image" width="247" height="300" />survival, at least in part, to our now-extinct short and burly ancient cousins.
A<a href="http://www.cell.com/ajhg/abstract/S0002-9297%2815%2900486-3"> new study</a> by scientists at the<a href="http://www.mpg.de/9819763/neanderthal-genes-immune-system"> Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology</a> – the same team that just a few years ago<a href="https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v505/n7481/full/nature12886.html"> first sequenced a Neanderthal genome</a> – found that when modern humans emerged out of Africa and intermixed with Neanderthals perhaps 60,000 years ago, it gave us an evolutionary advantage to survive and thrive.
After all, Neanderthals had 200,000 years to adapt and flourish outside of Africa before modern humans met up with them, so intermixing may have given a genetic leg up to modern humans adapting to the new environment they encountered in their migrations.
This is not the first time that scientists have discussed the evolutionary advantage  – termed<a href="https://www.nature.com/news/2011/110809/full/476136a.html"> “hybrid vigor”</a> – imparted by Neanderthals to modern humans. But it is the first time specific genetic contributions from Neanderthals have been found and tied directly to an evolutionary advantage. Two years ago researchers at University of California Berkeley showed that another archaic human cousin, the Denisovan, may have given Tibetans a<a href="https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v512/n7513/full/nature13408.html"> genetic adaptation</a> for living at high altitudes.


In this new paper on Neanderthal,   researchers found that changes in the Toll-like receptor (TLR) genes – genes involved in how we respond to to such things as bacteria, fungi and parasites – may have given modern humans the ability to withstand some of the exposures they would have encountered in their new environments.


&#8220;What has emerged from our study as well as from other work on introgression is that interbreeding with archaic humans does indeed have functional implications for modern humans,” Kelso said. “And that the most obvious consequences have been in shaping our adaptation to our environment &#8211; improving how we resist pathogens and metabolize novel foods.&#8221;


But there was a cost to this advantage. While these genetic variants may have helped boost humans ability to withstand certain pathogens and bacteria, they may have also left modern humans with an overactive immune system making them more susceptible to asthma and allergies.


In a study done by<a href="https://www.nature.com/ng/journal/v45/n8/full/ng.2686.html"> researchers here at 23andMe</a>, variants in the same three genes identified in these two studies – TLR1, TLR6, and TLR10– are also associated with asthma, hay fever and other allergies. Researchers here at 23andMe have also looked at how Neanderthal variants influence certain common traits like hair curl, back hair and height. (23andMe offers customers a Neanderthal report, showing them what variants are of Neanderthal origin, what traits they may influence, and how they compare to others.)

<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 250px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">
More on Neanderthals
<ul>
<li><a href="https://blog.23andme.com/news/meeting-at-the-crossroads/">Meeting at the Crossroads</a></li>
<li><a href="https://blog.23andme.com/news/dem-bones/">Dem Bones</a></li>
<li><a href="https://blog.23andme.com/news/neanderthal-fade-away/">Neanderthal Fade Away</a></li>
</ul>
</div>

23andMe population geneticist Ivan Juric, who previously worked at Graham Coop’s lab at the University of California, Davis, said <a href="http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2015/11/21/030148">  his research there</a> suggests that on average, selection was working against Neanderthal ancestry in modern humans.
His yet-to-be published research and the work of <a href="http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2015/10/31/030387">Kelly Harris and Rasmus Nielsen</a>, also in pre-publication review, suggest that early human-Neanderthal hybrids might have been strongly selected against. This doesn’t mean that all the Neanderthal variants in humans are deleterious, as shown in the new research regarding the TLR genes.


This all adds to our understanding of human history and evolution, about why modern humans survived and Neanderthals and Denisovans didn’t, and it may give us insight into certain conditions and traits we still carry today.

The Neanderthal Advantage

Bolstering the theory that modern society’s fixation on cleanliness might actually be hurting the development of healthy immune systems in children, <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/content/349/6252/1106.full">a new study</a> published this week in the journal Science suggests that exposure to the kinds of <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-22620" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/dairy-cow-300x200.jpg" alt="dairy cow" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/dairy-cow-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/dairy-cow-768x511.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/dairy-cow.jpg 849w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />bacteria found in the farmyard may actually protect children from allergies, hay fever and asthma.


The development of asthma and allergies is complicated and involves many factors both environmental and <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/new-genetic-associations-found-for-allergies-and-asthma/">genetic</a>. Asthma and allergies, which are strongly linked to each other, are among the most common diseases in the industrialized world. But several studies have shown that in the last few decades there has been a surge in the number of people in developed countries who’ve developed asthma or allergies.
There are many theories offered to explain this surge, one, the “<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2841828/">hygiene hypothesis</a>,” suggests that an increasingly sanitized environment inhibits the development of the immune system, making people more prone to allergies and asthma.   Another theory is that increasing exposure to chemicals and pollutants are the culprits.

<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 300px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-6151 aligncenter" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/allergy.jpg" alt="allergy" width="250" height="222" /> Allergies of a Feather Flock Together 
People with allergies tend to be allergic to multiple things. Sometimes this makes sense – being allergic to cats and dogs for instance – other times the groupings make you scratch your head. Based on our research survey data, we found that if you are allergic to one insect’s sting, it is more likely that you’ll be allergic to another. But food allergies do not appear to be associated with other kinds of allergies.You can learn more about these associations<a href="https://www.23andme.com/about/factoid/factoid_allergies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> here</a>.</div>

In the study published in Science researchers looked into why children who grew up on dairy farms appear to be protected from allergies, hay fever and asthma.


In mice, researchers found that low-dose exposure to farm dust triggered an inflammatory response that later protected the mice from developing asthma induced from dust mites. Looking at the biology, the researchers found that the exposure modified a particular enzyme, A20, which is involved in this defensive inflammatory mechanism.
For many with asthma, that enzyme is disabled.
While the new study adds more support for the hygiene hypothesis, the researchers said they still must look at to see if this protective mechanism lasts into adulthood.

Allergies And The Hygiene Hypothesis

Working with researchers from Australia’s<a href="http://www.qimr.edu.au/"> QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute</a>, 23andMe scientists completed the first-ever genome-wide association study combining asthma and hay fever phenotypes.
<a href="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/iStock_000003241516XSmall.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-5814" alt="inhaler_asthma" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/iStock_000003241516XSmall-300x199.jpg" width="300" height="199" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/iStock_000003241516XSmall-300x199.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/iStock_000003241516XSmall.jpg 425w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />T</a>he susceptibility to both asthma and hay fever are known to often run hand-in-hand. But the study published this week in the<a href="http://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749%2813%2901643-6/fulltext"> Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology</a> found 11 genetic variants that are associated with having both conditions.
In addition two of those variants found in the study had never before been associated with any allergic condition. 
<h6>New Associations</h6>
While the nine other genetic variants found in the study had been linked to different allergies in the past, this is the first time those associations were found to be associated with both asthma and hay fever.
“In this first-of-its-kind study, we’ve identified new genetic associations that can provide the means to identify people at risk for allergic disease with greater efficiency,” said David Hinds, Ph.D., study author, and 23andMe Principal Scientist in Statistical Genetics.
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 300px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">Allergies of a Feather Flock Together 
People with allergies tend to be allergic to <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-9185" alt="allergy" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/allergy.jpg" width="139" height="123" />multiple things. Sometimes this makes sense – being allergic to cats and dogs for instance – other times the groupings make you scratch your head. Based on our research survey data, we found that if you are allergic to one insect’s sting, it is more likely that you’ll be allergic to another. But food allergies do not appear to be associated with other kinds of allergies. You can learn more about these associations<a href="https://www.23andme.com/about/factoid/factoid_allergies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> here</a>.</div>
About one in five American children have a respiratory allergy like<a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/allergic-rhinitis/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier"> hay fever</a>, and nearly one in 10 have asthma.
<h6>Serious Illness</h6>
While for many of us, allergic reactions are a mere annoyance, for others they can be life-threatening. We know that both environmental and genetic factors are involved in triggering asthma and allergies. But a deeper understanding of those causes will help in both identifying risks as well as potential treatments.
This new study – led by scientists at QIMR – included data from more than 15,000 23andMe customers who agreed to participate in research. The work also adds to the body of existing research already done by 23andMe on allergies and asthma.
<h6 dir="ltr">More Research</h6>
Last year, 23andMe researchers and scientists from the University of Bristol’s<a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/"> Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) i</a>n the UK, completed the largest genome-wide association study ever conducted on common allergies.<a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ng.2686"> That study</a> included data from more than 53,000 people. It also found new genetic associations for the conditions. The study added to our knowledge of the genetic link between common allergens and a person’s susceptibility to experiencing an allergic reaction
Researchers hope that these studies will improve their ability to detect genetic risk factors for allergies and asthma. In turn, this information can also shed more light on the biological underpinnings for the conditions.

New genetic variants found to influence risk of asthma with hay fever

Each year at this time 23andMe puts together a list of the most interesting genetic findings of 2013. We’re doing that again but with a twist.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/top10ten-266x300.jpg" alt="top10ten" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-10750" width="266" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/top10ten-266x300.jpg 266w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/top10ten.jpg 306w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 266px) 100vw, 266px" />
We want to include in our list a few things that aren’t findings or discoveries, but clearly, these stories have had a huge impact on the field of genetics. The fact that these stories made such a big splash beyond the world of science and health reporting illustrates how important genetics has become for everyone.
As far as research goes, in the last year, we’ve seen the continued rapid pace of discovery in genetic sciences. These new findings have included research into the biology of disease, mental illness and new insights into our understanding of human evolution. Researchers here at 23andMe are also a part of this push to understand not just the human story, but the biology of disease and the role genetics plays in our lives.
So let’s take a quick look back at the last year and 23andMe’s list of the Top Ten Genetic Stories of 2013.
<h6> THE ANGELINA EFFECT<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Angelina-image-196x300.jpg" alt="46th New York Film Festival &quot;Changeling&quot; Premiere - Inside Arrivals" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-20131" width="173" height="265" /></h6>
Angelina Jolie’s<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/opinion/my-medical-choice.html"> revelation</a> that she underwent a double prophylactic mastectomy after learning she had a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, brought genetic screening into sharp focus for everyone. In making her difficult choice, she took into consideration her family history – her mother died of ovarian cancer (also associated with BRCA1 gene mutation) and her aunt also had breast cancer   – her ancestry and her age. Going public with her story also offered comfort to many women facing similar choices.
<h6>EWWW</h6>
It probably wasn’t what Walt Whitman<a href="http://www.daypoems.net/plainpoems/1900.html"> meant</a>, but indeed we all “contain multitudes.” Our bodies are host to literally trillions of microorganisms that make up the “human microbiome,” and those organisms play a very important but not fully understood role in our health. There is also a link between the make-up of that microbiome and the genetic variation of our immune systems, which is another thing we haven’t yet fully figured out. But even without fully understanding how these all interrelate, doctors have started to use these important microorganisms to treat illnesses. Early in the year, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study that followed 16 patients who were treated for a severe gut infection with a<a href="https://www.nature.com/news/faecal-transplants-succeed-in-clinical-trial-1.12227"> fecal transplant.</a> While it might be something you’d rather not talk about over dinner, the treatment of the Clostridium difficile infection worked in 15 of the 16 patients.
<h6>FIVE MENTAL ILLNESSES SHARE A COMMON GENETIC LINK</h6>
A<a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2812%2962129-1/fulltext"> study published in early 2013</a> found that five very distinct psychiatric disorders share an association with some variants in genes that control signaling in the brain. The large study looked at schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism, major depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Although these are very different conditions, the findings may help researchers better understand the underpinnings of these very different illnesses. Two of the four variants involve calcium channels, integral for signaling within the brain.
<h6 dir="ltr">NOTHING TO SNEEZE AT<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/allergy.jpg" alt="allergy" class="alignright size-full wp-image-6151" width="198" height="176" /></h6>
There’s an ongoing debate about the interplay between genetics and the environment in why there has been an apparent increase in the rate of allergies. There are many theories offered to explain this including the “<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2841828/">hygiene hypothesis</a>,” which suggests that an increasingly sanitized environment inhibits the development of the immune system.  Another theory is that increased exposure to chemicals and pollutants are the culprits. The rate of <a href="http://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749%2805%2901314-X/abstract">allergies</a> has more than<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db10.htm#howdoes"> doubled over the last decade</a>.   While this increase is pointing to environmental factors, genetics is an important component.
A study done by 23andMe scientists and researchers at the University of Bristol’s<a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/"> Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)</a> in the UK found <a href="https://mediacenter.23andme.com/press-releases/allergies_2013">new genetic associations for asthma and allergies</a>. It was the largest genome-wide association study ever conducted on common allergies with data from more than 53,000 people. The study showed that there are also common genetic variants underlying allergies to cats, pollen and dust mites
<h6>HUMAN GENES CAN’T BE PATENTED</h6>
Not long after Angelina’s revelation, the Supreme Court unanimously decided to bar the patenting of human genes. The case involved Myriad Genetics, which has long held patents for breast and ovarian cancer screening. What’s not so clear from the Supreme Court’s decision is what sort of impact this decision will have on research and innovation. While several companies almost immediately jumped into BRCA testing, legal challenges by Myriad to   stop those efforts quickly followed, leaving more doubt about how this will all play out.
<h6>THE WAY BACK<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/neanderthal.jpg" alt="neanderthal" class="alignright size-full wp-image-18144" width="150" height="270" /></h6>
Scientists extracted DNA from a 400,000-year-old thigh bone found buried in a Spanish cave, known as<a href="https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature12788.html"> Sima de Los Huesos, or Pit of Bones.</a>  Apart from the big deal of extracting genetic material from a really, really old bone – the oldest human DNA recovered yet – the find also gives us more information about human evolution, namely that it’s not as linear as some have thought. The DNA in the bone resembled that of ancient humans known as Denisovan.
Because of the time frame and the location, many had thought the bones would be from Neanderthals. The Denisovan DNA was a bit of a head-scratcher. Previous finds placed Denisovans in Siberia and only at about 80,000 years ago. Clearly, this adds more nuances to the story of human evolution. We can also add more pieces to that understanding after another DNA find this year. DNA from the 24,000-year-old skeletal remains of a boy buried near Lake Baikal in Siberia, has also altered researchers&#8217; view of the migration patterns of early Europeans.
The DNA matched not just with Western Europeans but with Native Americans. This suggests that the earliest people to settle the Americas were<a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/content/342/6157/409.full"> a mix of both populations.</a> While previous research has suggested that Native Americans descended from people who migrated from Siberia, this overlap with early Europeans is new. It also suggests that during the last Ice Age, people from Europe had migrated farther east than previously thought.
<h6>ALZHEIMER’S SEQUENCE DATA – CHAPTER ONE</h6>
The more information we can collect from people with the disease, the better we can understand them. Researchers working on Alzheimer’s disease got a huge boost in their efforts this year after the first batch of genetic data was<a href="http://www.nih.gov/news/health/dec2013/nhgri-02.htm"> made available</a> as part of the<a href="https://www.niagads.org/adsp/"> Alzheimer&#8217;s Disease Sequencing Project</a>. The project, conducted by the National Institutes of Health, makes available full genome sequence data on 410 people with Alzheimer’s. The hope is that by offering this information to a wide range of researchers, it will open up the possibility of new discoveries.
<h6>SHARING DATA<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/atcg-200x200.jpg" alt="DNA code analysis" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-3837" width="200" height="200" /></h6>
Hundreds of institutions worldwide are currently doing clinical and genetic research. If you could share that data and standardize how it is reported, you could make it that much more useful. That’s exactly what more than 70 medical, research and advocacy organizations did this year, the National Institutes of Health among them. They all agreed to set up a system<a href="https://www.broadinstitute.org/news/globalalliance"> to share genetic and clinical information</a>. By creating a database of genetic variation and health information, it would offer researchers, and doctors, a powerful resource for discovery.
Illustrating the power of shared data, using data from the Electronic Medical Records Genomics Network<a href="https://www.genome.gov/27540473"> (eMERGE</a>) for short – researchers have identified dozens of new variants linked to diseases ranging from skin cancer to anemia. The eMERGE data set allowed researchers to search by gene variant to find associated conditions. As the database grows it will allow researchers to discover connections between seemingly unrelated diseases and genetic variants.
The power of big datasets that include not just genetic information but also phenotypic information, is part of what 23andMe is all about. This year 23andMe researchers leverage our database and certain phenotypes to  functionally classify different genetic associations. our researchers presented some of our findings on this at the ASHG conference this year in Boston. Their findings show that on occasion, a single genetic variant will be associated with multiple different phenotypes. So for example, in autoimmune diseases, a single SNP influences multiple different diseases. Sometimes these shared associations are more surprising, such as the genetic association shared by both<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/health-traits/23andmes-latest-publication-shines-light-on-male-pattern-baldness-and-unexpected-associations-with-disease/"> Parkinson’s disease and baldness</a>. We’ve also found correlations between breast cancer and breast size, body mass index and food choice, and hair color and skin cancer.
<h6>MY, WHAT LONG TELOMERES YOU HAVE</h6>
Several papers this year indicate that genetic variants in telomere genes (such as TERT, TERC, POT1, etc.) not only influence the length of telomeres, which in turn is a good indicator of longevity, but those variants are also associated with certain cancers. Researchers in several different Genome-Wide Association Studies have found links to cancers such as multiple myeloma,<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23535731"> breast and ovarian cancer</a>, testicular cancer,<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?cmd=retrieve&#038;list_uids=23143601&#038;dopt=citation"> lung cancer,</a> and chronic<a href="https://www.nature.com/ng/journal/v45/n5/full/ng.2584.html"> lymphocytic leukemia</a>.
<h6>23ANDME AND THE FDA</h6>
It’s not the kind of news we like, but there’s no way for us to do a roundup of the year&#8217;s big stories without mentioning that the FDA in December ordered 23andMe to stop offering new consumers access to their health-related genetic tests, while the company moves through the FDA’s regulatory review process. 23andMe remains committed to being a pioneer in the genetics revolution and has made its work with the FDA its top priority.
Making it all work will be good not just for the FDA and 23andMe, but for the future of the direct-to-consumer genetic testing industry. Individuals who want to understand their genetics will win too – that’s everyone’s goal. Here’s to 2014.

This Year’s Top Ten Genetic Findings of 2013

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19502" alt="allergy treatments" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/allergy-treatments.jpg" width="689" height="464" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/allergy-treatments.jpg 689w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/allergy-treatments-300x202.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 689px) 100vw, 689px" />
For the live-updated, fully-labelled, interactive version of this infographic, <a href="http://curetogether.com/allergies/ig/treatment-effectiveness-vs-popularity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
By Alexandra Carmichael, Co-Founder of CureTogether
If you have allergies, you’ve probably tried many approaches to easing the sneezing, swelling, and suffering. You may have even compared your experience to other people with allergies, and tried what your friends recommend to ease the symptoms. But what if you could talk to 9,375 allergy sufferers at the same time and get a summary of all of their advice?
That’s what we’ve done in the chart above. CureTogether – a free resource owned by 23andMe that allows people to share information about their health and treatments – surveyed more than 9,000 people who self-identify as having Allergies and asked them to rate the effectiveness of 75 different treatments. We gathered all the data and put it together for you here.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-6151" alt="allergy" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/allergy.jpg" width="198" height="176">
People who participated in the survey reported that interventions such as avoiding allergens and nasal irrigation helped them feel better, as well as drugs like Prednisone, EpiPen, and antihistamines. Treatment ideas that didn’t seem to help as much included yogurt, calcium, Vitamin D, and local honey.
These are all treatments suggested and reported by patients, so some redundancy in the terms used is to be expected. In addition, the term “treatment” in this study refers to anything patients describe using to help them feel better, whether it is an officially prescribed medical treatment or not.
A startling 40-50 percent of school-age children are now experiencing sensitivities to allergens, and the prevalence of allergic disease worldwide has been increasing for the past 50 years. This is according to research from the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology.
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 200px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">Most Effective Rated Treatments for Allergies 
1. Prednisone 
2. Avoid allergens 
3. EpiPen 
4. Cetrizine 
5. Antihistamine 
6. Gluten-free diet 
7. Xyzal 
8. Dairy-free diet 
9. Fluticasone nasal spray 
10. Zyrtec</div>
Where did this data come from? This is the result of a four-year CureTogether <a href="http://curetogether.com/allergies/symptoms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study on Allergies</a>, in which 9,375 people shared information about their symptoms and what treatments worked best for them. We’d like to thank those who participated. And just as they shared their experience with treatments, we’re freely and openly sharing the results of the Allergies study.
This is part of a regular series of CureTogether <a href="http://curetogether.com/blog/category/research-findings/">research findings</a>. CureTogether’s research findings are different than <a href="https://www.23andme.com/about/factoids/">those made by 23andMe</a>, which look at genetic associations with illness, traits and drug response. But as we continue our work with the CureTogether community, 23andMe hopes to incorporate more of this kind of self-reported information into our own research. CureTogether present its findings just as they are – patient-reported data – to stimulate discussion and generate new insights for further research.
Please tweet, blog, or pass this along to anyone who can benefit or is interested in Allergies.

Alexandra Carmichael

What Patients Say Works For Allergies

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-16207 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/23andMe-David-047-210x300.jpeg" alt="" width="210" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/23andMe-David-047-210x300.jpeg 210w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/23andMe-David-047.jpeg 508w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 210px) 100vw, 210px" />Research <a href="https://www.nature.com/ng/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ng.2686.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">published online</a> this week in Nature Genetics, has found <a href="https://mediacenter.23andme.com/press-releases/allergies_2013" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">new genetic associations for asthma and allergies</a>.
<a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ng.2686" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The study</a> – done by scientists here at 23andMe and researchers at the University of Bristol’s<a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/"> Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)</a> in the UK – is the largest genome-wide association study ever conducted on common allergies with data from more than 53,000 people.
“Although environmental factors certainly play a role, our study reinforces the genetic link between common allergens and a person’s susceptibility to experiencing an allergic reaction,” said David Hinds, Ph.D., author and 23andMe principal scientist.
Asthma and allergies, which are strongly linked to each other, are among the most common diseases in the industrialized world.
The last two decades has seen a surge in the number of people with asthma and allergies. There are many theories offered to explain this including the “<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2841828/">hygiene hypothesis</a>,” which suggests that an increasingly sanitized environment inhibits the development of the immune system.   Another theory is that increasing exposure to chemicals and pollutants are the culprit.
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 300px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">Allergies of a Feather Flock Together 
People with allergies tend to be allergic to multiple things.Sometimes this makes sense – being allergic to cats and dogs for instance – other times the groupings make you scratch your head. Based on our research survey data, we found that if you are allergic to one insect’s sting, it is more likely that you’ll be allergic to another. But food allergies do not appear to be associated with other kinds of allergies.You can learn more about these associations<a href="https://www.23andme.com/about/factoid/factoid_allergies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> here</a>.</div>
But whatever the environmental factors,<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3151648/"> genetics plays a very important role</a> in whether or not an individual develops asthma or allergies. So understanding the genetic underpinnings of both conditions can offer insight not just in who may develop asthma or allergies but also into the biological pathways for the conditions. This can help in identifying potential new treatments for the conditions.
This study looked at common allergies, including allergies to pollen, dust-mites and cats. The researchers found 16 new genetic associations with allergies, eight of which have also been associated with asthma. While the link between the development of allergies and asthma is well established, these new genetic variants add to our understanding of the connection between these conditions.
To do the study, 23andMe selected self-reported data on allergies for pollen, dust-mites and cats. The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children had comparable data.   The researchers then used this combined data as part of the genome-wide association meta-analysis.
“Allergy is an important component of many diseases, including asthma, eczema and hay fever, which together account for a huge burden on patients and the health services.” said professor John Henderson of ALSPAC.   “This is a very exciting time for allergy research. Genetic discoveries have identified specific pathways of allergy development that are not shared with allergic diseases like asthma. Understanding these pathways could lead to eventual development of drugs that cure or prevent allergy rather than just suppressing its symptoms.”

New Genetic Associations Found For Allergies and Asthma

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-6586" title="23andMe_Logo_blog" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/23andMe_Logo_blog-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/23andMe_Logo_blog-300x300.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/23andMe_Logo_blog-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/23andMe_Logo_blog-271x271.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/23andMe_Logo_blog.jpg 350w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />
23andMe received more than half a million dollars recently from the<a href="https://www.23andme.com/about/press/nih_awards_2012"> National Institutes of Health (NIH) for three research projects</a>.
The grants support some of the important online genome-wide association studies 23andMe has pioneered – in this case one grant will go towards research into the genetics of allergies and asthma. But the NIH money will also support two other research projects that help push our work into new realms.
One project will develop methods for assessing the accuracy of new sequencing technologies in clinical applications, while the third grant supports a project to develop new survey and data collection tools that can be used in whole-genome sequencing research.
Principal Scientist and statistical geneticist Dave Hinds is spearheading the <a href="http://projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_description.cfm?icde=0&amp;aid=8394670">research into asthma and allergies</a> by leveraging the more than 100,000 people in our database who have consented to participate in research. As part of the grant, Dave plans to partner with experts in the genetics of asthma and allergies.
Our research platform gives the team working on this project a bit of a head start because we have about 25,000 customers participating in research who also report having one or more allergies. About 8,000 say they’ve been diagnosed with asthma. This gives us two large cohorts to help us begin the work that could provide breakthroughs to help so many more people. Allergies and asthma affect as many as one in five Americans, making better understanding of the genetics behind these conditions an important public health priority.
We are also excited by the research being overseen by Brain Naughton, our Founding Scientist. The project, <a href="http://projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_description.cfm?icde=0&amp;aid=8394910">“Development of DNA Sequencing Data-Quality Metrics for Personal Genomics”</a> will be important for laying the groundwork for the eventual broad adoption of whole-genome sequencing. Before that can happen however, we must ensure that the results are accurate and create standards for how that is measured. Brian and his team will analyze about 150 exomes (including 50 new exomes sequenced for this project) and 100 whole genomes to investigate false positive and false negative rates for variants located in known disease genes.
Finally, Nick Eriksson, also a Principal Scientist and statistical geneticist, will lead the development of tools that would <a href="http://projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_description.cfm?icde=0&amp;aid=8395172">improve the reliability of online self-reported data</a>. &nbsp;The long-term goal of this multi-phased project is to accelerate the research 23andMe currently does and increase the scope and reach of that research.

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