The interaction between living organisms and the environment requires a balancing act between genomic and epigenomic forces. Inflammation and cellular proliferation are kept in check by the genes, which code for their components and the microRNAs, which are capable of silencing the transcription of these genes. Acetylcholine (ACh) may play a unique role in the maintenance of this equilibrium, as the epigenomic inhibition of the gene coding for nicotinic receptors, and disinhibits the gene causing anergia in immune cells. We hypothesize that age-induced ACh deficiency is the result of an epigenomic dysfunction of microRNA-6775 (miR-6775), which silences the transcription of CHRNA7 gene [coding for alpha 7 nicotinic cholinergic receptors (nAChRs)]. When silenced, this gene induces decreased expression of alpha 7 nAChRs, which may predispose elderly individuals to inflammation, neuroinflammation, and delirium. We hypothesize further that miR-6775-induced hypocholinergia augments the expression of RNF 128, the gene related to anergy in lymphocytes (GRAIL). This gene favors regulatory T cells (Tregs), promoters of immunologic tolerance, which may predispose to both cancer and sepsis-induced immunosuppression.
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science
2
5%
Nursing and Health Professions
1
3%
Other
6
15%
Unknown
9
23%
Attention Score in Context
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 1. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 29 October 2015.
All research outputs
#15,330,390
of 23,577,654 outputs
Outputs from Frontiers in Medicine
#2,964
of 6,086 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#149,193
of 267,538 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Frontiers in Medicine
#7
of 13 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 23,577,654 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 32nd percentile – i.e., 32% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 6,086 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 13.6. This one is in the 46th percentile – i.e., 46% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 267,538 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one is in the 41st percentile – i.e., 41% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
We're also able to compare this research output to 13 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 38th percentile – i.e., 38% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
