Sure it's still a thing out there you can catch,

當然，這仍然是一個你可以抓住的東西、

but most people seem tired of hearing about it.

但大多數人似乎都聽膩了這個問題。

But not only is COVID not going anywhere –

但是，不僅是COVID不會去任何地方 --

for some people,

對某些人來說、

infection is followed by a protracted,

感染後，會有一個長期的、

debilitating condition known  informally as long COVID.

衰弱的狀況被非正式地稱為長COVID。

The good news is that scientists  are hard at work on solving that.

好消息是，科學家正在努力解決這個問題。

And while we don't know  what causes long COVID yet,

雖然我們還不知道是什麼原因導致長COVID、

we're getting closer to  understanding what's involved,

我們越來越接近於瞭解其中的內容、

which points at ways to treat it.

其中指出了治療的方法。

Today, let's talk about one area  where we've made some progress.

今天，讓我們來談談我們已經取得一些進展的一個領域。

And it has to do with sticky notes on your DNA.

而這與你的DNA上的便條有關。

[Intro Music]

[介紹音樂]

Symptoms of long COVID vary  dramatically between individuals,

長COVID的症狀因人而異，差異很大、

but depending on who you ask,

但要看你問誰、

it's defined as experiencing  signs of illness somewhere

它被定義為在某個地方出現疾病的跡象

between 4 weeks and 3 months

4周至3個月之間

following infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

感染SARS-CoV-2病毒後。

These effects can be devastating,

這些影響可能是破壞性的、

and have dramatic effects on  a patient's quality of life,

並對病人的生活品質產生巨大的影響、

including their ability to work.

包括他們的工作能力。

Now, there is a flurry of interest in this topic –

現在，人們對這個話題興趣盎然 --

which is great!

這是很好的!

and you can find scientists looking at everything

而且你可以發現科學家們在觀察一切

from the heart to the brain to the lungs

從心臟到大腦到肺部

to the everywhere.

到各地。

But a few research groups

但有幾個研究小組

are thinking smaller.

正在考慮縮小規模。

Way smaller, down to the fine print

小得多，細得多

and the genes that dictate  our response to infection.

以及決定我們對感染的反應的基因。

While most every cell in your body

雖然你身體裡的大多數細胞都是

has the same sequence of DNA in its nucleus,

在其細胞核內有相同的DNA序列、

there are a lot of ways for the cell

有很多方法可以讓細胞

to decide what genes to use when.

來決定什麼時候使用什麼基因。

They don't all get used the same  amount, or at the same rate.

它們的使用量不盡相同，也不盡相同。

Think of it like a textbook that  you don't read cover to cover.

把它想象成一本你沒有從頭到尾閱讀的教科書。

You're probably going to reference  some important sections more often,

你可能要更經常地參考一些重要的章節、

and skip over others that  are less relevant to you.

並跳過其他與你不太相關的內容。

You might even use sticky notes

你甚至可以使用粘性紙條

to mark a page you want to come back to often.

來標記一個你想經常回來的頁面。

Well, cells have their own version of  sticky notes in their genetic libraries.

好吧，細胞的基因庫裡有它們自己版本的便籤。

Genes may get marked up with tags

基因可能被打上標籤

that tell the cell's machinery to  use that gene more or less often.

它告訴細胞的機器要更多或更少地使用該基因。

This is the basis for the science of epigenetics

這就是表觀遺傳學科學的基礎

a way for the cell to modulate genetic information

細胞調控遺傳信息的一種方式

without changing the sequence of DNA.

而不改變DNA的序列。

The kind of epigenetic sticky note

那種表觀遺傳學的貼紙

we're going to be talking about  is called DNA methylation.

我們將要討論的問題叫做DNA甲基化。

The best-understood version of methylation

對甲基化理解得最透徹的版本

usually adds a tag to quiet the gene down,

通常會添加一個標籤，讓基因安靜下來、

causing it to be read out less  often than it would otherwise.

導致它被讀出的次數比其他情況下少。

And we have good reason

而且我們有充分的理由

to think the virus that causes COVID-19

認為導致COVID-19的病毒

may affect epigenetic signals in our cells.

可能會影響我們細胞中的表觀遺傳信號。

Back in 2017,

早在2017年、

before anyone had ever heard the word “COVID”,

在任何人都沒有聽說過 "COVID "這個詞之前、

researchers were looking into the epigenetic  effects of SARS and MERS infections,

研究人員正在研究SARS和MERS感染的表觀遺傳效應、

which are both coronaviruses,

這兩種病毒都是冠狀病毒、

like SARS-CoV-2.

如SARS-CoV-2。

It's unlikely that the virus is moving genetic sticky notes itself

病毒本身不太可能移動遺傳性便條

Rather, the thinking seems to be

相反，這種想法似乎是

that our own bodies produce more or less

我們自己的身體或多或少會產生一些

of the products of certain genes

某些基因的產物的

to make infection less severe.

以使感染不那麼嚴重。

In long COVID,

在長的COVID、

research is starting to suggest

研究開始表明

that the changes to these signals persist

這些信號的變化持續存在

when the body should have scaled  them back after infection.

當身體在感染後應該將它們縮減。

And here's the thing –

而事情是這樣的--

we can read these epigenetic signals.

我們可以讀取這些表觀遺傳信號。

So if we can identify genes whose signals

是以，如果我們能夠識別出那些信號

are consistently changed in  patients with long COVID,

在長線COVID患者中持續改變、

we might be able to both  diagnose long COVID more easily,

我們也許能夠更容易地診斷出長的COVID、

and shake those genes down

並將這些基因搖身一變

for answers about how to treat those patients.

以尋求關於如何治療這些病人的答案。

A research group based in Sweden

設在瑞典的一個研究小組

has studied DNA methylation

已經研究了DNA甲基化問題

in the blood cells of patients with long COVID.

在長COVID患者的血細胞中。

In the study, published in the  journal Clinical Epigenetics in 2022.

在2022年發表於《臨床表觀遺傳學》雜誌的這項研究中。

they found several genes and groups of genes

他們發現了幾個基因和基因組

with changes in their methylation after infection.

感染後其甲基化的變化。

These included some seriously tantalizing hits:

這些包括一些嚴重誘人的打擊：

genes involved in regulating ACE2,

參與調控ACE2的基因、

the now-famous protein

現在著名的蛋白質

that the SARS-CoV-2 virus

證實了SARS-CoV-2病毒

uses to invade cells.

用來入侵細胞。

Some genes were also involved  in histamine signaling,

一些基因也參與了組胺信號的傳遞、

which lines up with the evidence

這與證據相吻合

that some antihistamine medications

一些抗組胺藥物

can benefit long COVID patients.

可以使長COVID患者受益。

Most intriguing,

最耐人尋味的是、

some of these methylated genes

其中一些甲基化的基因

were related to taste and smell,

與味覺和嗅覺有關、

which makes sense given

這是有道理的，因為

that one of COVID's signature symptoms

COVID的標誌性症狀之一是

is loss of those senses.

是失去了這些感覺。

Before we get too excited, though,

不過，在我們過於興奮之前、

this was a small study with  only 10 long COVID patients.

這是一項小規模的研究，只有10名長COVID患者。

So while it isn't as robust as we would like,

是以，雖然它並不像我們希望的那樣強大、

that's unfortunately the case for  a lot of COVID-related research

不幸的是，許多與COVID有關的研究都是如此。

because it's just so new.

因為它實在是太新了。

Another research group,

另一個研究小組、

this one based in the US,

這個是在美國的、

looked at patients recovering from COVID

觀察了從COVID恢復的病人

in a pair of papers between 2021 and 2022.

在2021年和2022年之間的一對文件中。

They had a total of 102 participants

他們總共有102名參與者

with COVID in their first study,

在他們的第一次研究中使用了COVID、

and followed up one year later with 15 of them

並在一年後對其中的15人進行了跟蹤調查

who reported symptoms of long COVID.

報告長COVID症狀的人。

They also found changes in DNA methylation

他們還發現了DNA甲基化的變化

that persisted after infection…

感染後持續存在的...

but in pretty much totally different  genes than the Swedish study identified.

但與瑞典的研究確定的基因完全不同。

Their previous study had found about 1500 genes

他們之前的研究發現了大約1500個基因

whose methylation status changed

其甲基化狀態發生變化

during acute COVID-19 infection.

在急性COVID-19感染期間。

Of those, 71 remained altered a year later.

其中，71人在一年後仍被改變。

Broadly speaking, those genes tended to be related

廣義上講，這些基因往往與

to inflammation and response to infection.

對發炎和感染的反應。

Basically, a totally different group of genes

基本上是完全不同的一組基因

than what the Swedish team found,

比瑞典團隊所發現的要好、

although at least some of those  genes had similar functions.

儘管這些基因中至少有一些具有類似的功能。

Unfortunately,

不幸的是、

not all of the studies on  methylation and long COVID

並非所有關於甲基化和長COVID的研究都是如此。

have supported a connection between them.

已經支持了它們之間的聯繫。

A third study found no difference in methylation

第三項研究發現在甲基化方面沒有差異

between people with long  COVID and people in remission.

患有長期COVID的人和處於緩解期的人之間。

These studies were all on the smaller side,

這些研究都是偏小的、

with tons of differences between the patients

患者之間有大量的差異

who participated in them.

參加這些活動的人。

But just for fun,

但只是為了好玩、

let's revisit a few of the methylated genes

讓我們重新審視一下幾個甲基化的基因

that those studies did find.

這些研究確實發現了這一點。

Because they do all seem relevant to long COVID

因為它們似乎都與長期的COVID有關

if larger studies can validate their involvement.

如果更大的研究能夠驗證他們的參與。

For example, the US-based group

例如，總部設在美國的集團

says that the pattern of  gene expression they found

表示，他們發現的基因表達模式

could help to explain the increase

這可能有助於解釋增加的

in cardiovascular events that follows COVID-19.

在COVID-19之後的心血管事件中。

And the Swedish group identified  genes related to ACE2,

而瑞典小組確定了與ACE2有關的基因、

which interestingly lines  up with an idea out there

有趣的是，這與外面的一個想法相一致

that patients develop antibodies

患者會產生抗體

to their own ACE2 after infection,

感染後對自己的ACE2、

which might contribute to  inflammation occurring in long COVID.

這可能有助於在長COVID中發生的發炎。

Even more interestingly, this group also noticed

更有趣的是，這個小組還注意到

that their patients had some  similar self-antibodies floating

他們的病人有一些類似的自我抗體浮動

around to patients with MECFS –

圍繞著MECFS的病人 -

what you might know as chronic fatigue syndrome.

你可能知道的是慢性疲勞綜合徵。

And they noticed epigenetic changes to  those self-antibody receptors as well.

而且他們注意到這些自我抗體受體的表觀遺傳變化。

I don't want to get too excited  about such a small study,

我不想對這樣一個小的研究過於激動、

but the evidence for a link between long COVID

但有證據表明，長的COVID之間有聯繫。

and chronic fatigue syndrome

和慢性疲勞綜合徵

is piling up everywhere you look.

在你所看到的任何地方都堆積如山。

And what's better than understanding one disease?

而有什麼比了解一種疾病更好呢？

Understanding two.

瞭解二。

So while it's early days for this research,

是以，雖然這項研究還處於早期階段、

there's a lot going on in the world  of COVID-19 epigenetic studies,

在COVID-19表觀遺傳學研究的世界裡，有很多事情正在進行、

and studies of COVID-19 in general.

以及對COVID-19的一般研究。

But as we discover more about  how this spiky little virus

但隨著我們對這種帶刺的小病毒的發現越來越多

is messing with our sticky notes,

是搞亂了我們的便條、

we can hopefully find ways to get  our DNA textbooks back in order.

我們希望能找到辦法讓我們的DNA教科書恢復正常。

Which is something that's worth learning,

這是值得學習的事情、

even if you're tired of hearing about COVID.

即使你聽膩了關於COVID的說法。

This video was made possible

這段視頻是由

thanks to our supporters on Patreon.

感謝我們在Patreon上的支持者。

Our patrons allow us to  cover topics like COVID-19,

我們的贊助人允許我們報道COVID-19這樣的主題、

which take way more time and research

這需要更多的時間和研究