Immune-Genetic Biomarkers of Risk and Resiliency for GWI
Abstract
Gulf War (GW) veterans continue to report chronic health symptoms following their return from the war. New advances in the study of brain and immune system communication have indicated the involvement of the neuroimmune system in GWI development. However, why only some GW neurotoxicant-exposed veterans have GWI while others do not remains unclear. We recently identified differences in genetic make-up in GW veterans with GWI compared to GW veterans without GWI and that there is a complex interaction between genetics and deployment-related exposures. This project aims to validate these preliminary findings to identify specific genetic and epigenetic markers of GWI and how these markers together with deployment-related exposures cause chronic sickness. We will use blood and DNA samples from the Boston Biorepository, Recruitment and Integrative Network (BBRAIN) for GWI taken from 300 veterans with GWI and 200 veterans without GWI for detecting these specific markers. We will also be collecting demographic, GW-related deployment exposures to neurotoxicants, and clinical data from each veteran that together with the marker information will allow us to determine any interactions between markers and this data. Progress on this project to date has been focused on obtaining the necessary legal agreements and clearances in order to facilitate access to the BBRAIN saliva and blood samples and permit shipment of these samples from the U.S. to Australia. The final clearance is being sort currently, hence no experimental findings have been made within this annual reporting period.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1219049
Entities
People
- Courtney Cross
- Janet K Coller
Organizations
- Baylor College of Medicine
- Boston University
- Nova Southeastern University
- University of Adelaide