Scientists have developed the world's biggest database of ancient human DNA by studying the remains of nearly 5,000 people who lived in Western Europe and Asia up to 34,000 years ago.
By sequencing old human DNA and comparing it to modern-day samples, an international team of experts tracked the historical spread of genes – and diseases – over time as populations moved.
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A groundbreaking study was carried out by a multinational team, spearheaded by Professor Eske Willerslev at the Universities of Cambridge and Copenhagen, and Professor Thomas Werge at the University of Copenhagen, in collaboration with Professor Rasmus Nielsen at the University of California, Berkeley, and supported by 175 researchers from across the world.
A new study has discovered that the genes that substantially raise a person's likelihood of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) were introduced to north-western Europe about 5,000 years ago. This occurred when sheep and cattle herders migrated there from the east. Image Credit: SayoStudio
The scientists found:
Northwestern Europe currently has the highest incidence rate of multiple sclerosis globally. Research has revealed that genetic traits that raised a person's risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) were imported to northwestern Europe approximately 5,000 years ago, brought in by sheep and cattle herders migrating from the eastern regions.
By analysing the DNA of ancient human bones and teeth discovered at known archaeological sites all over Eurasia, researchers have been able to track the geographical spread of MS from its origins on the Pontic Steppe (an area which covers parts of present-day Ukraine, South-West Russia, and the West Kazakhstan Region).
Researchers discovered that the genetic variations linked to the risk of developing multiple sclerosis were carried by the Yamnaya people - nomadic cattle herders who migrated across the Pontic Steppe into North-Western Europe.
The genetic variations that were advantageous for the Yamnaya people, probably gave them an advantage so they could live through infections caused by their sheep and cattle. However, they are also thought to have increased the likelihood of someone in this group developing Multiple Sclerosis.
The age of the specimens spans from the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods right through to the Bronze Age, Iron Age, Viking period, and into the Middle Ages. The oldest genome included in the data set dates back around 34,000 years.
The research sheds light on the 'North-South Gradient,' a phenomenon where northern Europe currently sees roughly twice as many cases of multiple sclerosis as southern Europe, a puzzle that scientists had been struggling to explain.
From a genetic viewpoint, the Yamnaya people are believed to be the forebears of many present-day residents of North-Western Europe. Their genetic impact on the population of southern Europe today is significantly weaker.
Previous research has pinpointed 233 genetic variants that heighten the likelihood of developing MS. These genetic variations, which are intertwined with environmental and lifestyle factors, are estimated to increase disease risk by approximately 30 percent. The recent study discovered that the genetic risk profile for MS in modern times also exists in bones and teeth dating back thousands of years.
Multiple sclerosis is a problem that affects the nervous system, where the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the protective coating around the nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord. This brings on episodes of symptoms, known as relapses, as well as gradual long-term degeneration, known as progression.
– the basis on which the discoveries are founded
The discoveries were made achievable by investigating data housed in a special gene bank of ancient DNA constructed by researchers during the past five years, supported by funding from the Lundbeck Foundation.
This is the world's very first gene bank of its kind. It has already provided us with new and intriguing findings on subjects ranging from ancient human migration patterns to the genetic risk factors influencing the development of brain disorders.
By examining the bones and teeth of almost 5,000 ancient humans stored in museums across Europe and Western Asia, the researchers created DNA profiles spanning the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods through to the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Viking era, and into the Middle Ages. They compared the ancient DNA data with modern DNA from 400,000 people currently living in Britain, held in the UK Biobank.
The team has now decided to look into other neurological conditions, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, and psychiatric disorders, including ADHD and schizophrenia.
They have had requests from disease researchers internationally for access to the ancient DNA profiles, and intend to make the gene bank freely accessible in due course.
The research was funded by an £8 million grant from the Lundbeck Foundation and conducted at the Lundbeck Foundation Geogenetics Centre at the University of Copenhagen.
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