What is "Disease X" and why are experts concerned about its spread?

Health authorities around the world are still learning the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic and trying to determine the best way to prevent a new pandemic.

Many researchers began referring to the next agent causing mass disease around the world as “Disease X.” A statement issued by the World Health Organization in 2022 defines the term this way: “Disease

Given what the world saw when Covid emerged, it's important for infectious disease experts and scientists to constantly monitor new threats, said Thomas Russo, an infectious disease expert at the University of Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

“The concept of Disease

He explained that such close contact with wildlife creates conditions in which the virus, which has only affected animals so far, begins to sicken humans.

To be clear, scientists don't yet know what type of virus might cause the next pandemic, or in other words, what Disease X will turn into. Russo said many people believe it could be a coronavirus — like SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19 — or a new strain of influenza.

Director of the World Health Organization: Prepare for the X-epidemic

“But it could be completely new,” he added. “There is no way to know when Disease

But given what the world witnessed in 2020 and 2021 before Covid vaccines were widely distributed, it is crucial that we remain vigilant about the troubling diseases that emerge.

“When we have a crisis, we direct resources, energy and attention to it,” Rousseau said. “And then that crisis starts to subside. We say we’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again, but then, inevitably, we let our guard down completely.”

To limit the damage that Disease X could cause, officials and policymakers must remain focused on preventing the next pandemic. “One needs to continue and keep that biomedical research and funding going with regard to the biology of what we call model factors,” Dr. Russo said.

He said that these typical factors are any factors that scientists expect could cause disease and mass death in the future, as “Covid-19” did when it first appeared.

He added: "Most people now appreciate that there is a possibility of another pandemic, but there is not much they can do about it."

However, it may be in an individual's best interest to try to improve their health so that they are as prepared as possible when the next pandemic hits, by exercising, maintaining a healthy weight and eliminating any stereotypical habits that make you more susceptible to disease, such as smoking.

In addition, people should monitor the news and listen to advice provided by reputable health authorities.

Discovering a genetic factor behind a rare bone disease

A team of researchers led by McGill University has made an important discovery that sheds light on the genetic basis of a rare skeletal disorder called multiple epiphyseal dysplasia, which causes a type of dwarfism.

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, discovered that a defect in a specific gene - heterozygosity (a genetic pattern consisting of two different alleles at a specific position) in a protein called “MGP”, which is an abbreviation for Matrix Gla protein - may cause the disorder that affects, On the structure of connective tissues that support the body.

The MGB gene is crucial in preventing calcification or hardening of blood vessels and cartilage. The absolute absence of the MGB gene leads to Koelt's syndrome, a rare congenital condition in which tissues become calcified, causing problems with the skeleton and blood vessels.

However, in this case, the genetic variations in MGB discovered in the recent study differ from Cothill syndrome because they lead to a different structural disorder characterized by unique cellular and molecular changes.

In the recent study, researchers studied four individuals from two unrelated families with two heterozygous variants in the MGB gene. These individuals suffer from multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (MED), which is a rare genetic disorder that occurs in one in every 10 cases. Thousands of births.

This extremely rare disorder affects the epiphyses (the rounded end of long bones), is characterized by short stature with a short torso, and causes difficulty walking, pain and stiffness in the joints, and short fingers.

“Our study reports on four people from two different families who had a small change in their MGP gene,” explains Munther Murshed, a professor in the Department of Medicine and the Departments of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Experimental Medicine and the College of Dentistry and Oral Health Sciences, and senior author of the study. "The changes made the protein a little different, and these individuals showed a specific bone disorder."

The researchers tested these genetic changes on mice to better understand the situation at the cellular and molecular levels.

The results revealed that these variants in MGB led to the production of a protein that does not exit cells properly. This imbalance leads to stress on the endoplasmic reticulum, a network inside the cell where protein synthesis occurs, which ultimately leads to the death of cartilage cells. This process leads to bone deformities, indicating the beginning of a skeletal disorder.

These findings were confirmed by experiments on mice, which showed similar bone problems in humans when exposed to the same genetic variations.

This scientific development could greatly enhance the understanding of multiple epiphyseal dysplasia, and the results highlight the importance of the MGB gene and its role in skeletal development, providing hope for improved diagnosis and treatment for people with this rare condition.

Professor Munther Murshed, lead author of the study, expressed optimism that publication of the study will encourage more individuals with similar structural conditions to seek counselling. This would help to conduct more research as well as improve the treatment and long-term management of these diseases.