Omics at KU School of Nursing
KU School of Nursing scientists work to discover new personalized treatments to improve patient outcomes.
We focus on understanding human physiology comprehensively to provide better patient care for each person as an individual.
One of our research areas is known as omics. Omics research combines different areas of biology, like genetics, proteins and metabolism to understand how our bodies work at an individualized level. KU School of Nursing researchers are among a small group of nurse scientists in the United States conducting omics research. Their contributions help people better understand how genes and biology affect our health and how we can use this knowledge to create personalized nursing care for patients.
What is Omics?
“Omics” describes a collection of fields in biology that focus on the study of a certain type of biological molecule in its entirety. These fields include:
- Genomics: The study of an organism’s complete set of genes or genetic material.
- Proteomics: Genes in each organism provide the code for making new proteins. Proteomics is the study of the full set of proteins expressed by a genome.
- Metabolomics: The study of all the chemical processes that help the cells in your body turn food into energy.
- Transcriptomics: The study of the total set of ribonucleic acid (RNA), transcripts produced by the genome. The process of copying a segment of DNA into RNA is known as transcription. RNA can also be transcribed, or copied into other molecules that your body needs, like proteins.
- Microbiomics: The study of microbes such as fungi, bacteria, viruses and their genes that naturally live in our bodies and how they affect our overall health.
- Pharmacogenomics: The study of the branch of genetics concerned with how an individual's genetic attributes affect the likely response to therapeutic drugs.
Nurse scientists studying omics provide a more complete understanding of biological systems by studying these molecules not just individually, but as a whole. This expanded understanding can lead to new insights in areas such as health, disease and patient care.
Nurse scientists studying omics provide a more complete understanding of biological systems by studying these molecules, not just individually, but as a whole. This expanded understanding can lead to new insights in areas such as health, disease and patient care.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) can be caused by a forceful bump, blow or jolt to the head or body and can cause problems with normal brain function. KU nurse scientists explored the effects of a type of CoQ10 (ubiquinol) on cerebral gene expression to discover molecular mechanisms of CoQ10. CoQ10 is a nutrient that occurs naturally in your body. We found taking CoQ10 before a TBI significantly affected cerebral gene expression profiles that may be involved in the most fundamental molecular mechanisms of neuroprotection and free radical production.
To read more about Dr. Janet Pierce’s work in omics, visit her profile.
Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer results from the uncontrolled growth and division of abnormal cells in the ovaries or fallopian tubes. Women with ovarian cancer generally do not experience symptoms until late-stage disease. Unfortunately, most patients are diagnosed with advanced disease thus accounting for the low 5-year survival rates. There are no current methods to screen for disease. In order to develop clinical screening tests, research must be done to discover biomarkers of early ovarian cancer. One of our KU nurse scientists is investigating the role of the human microbiome in ovarian cancer. The purpose of this research is to identify possible microbial targets associated with abnormal cell formation that can serve as a means of early disease detection and save the lives of numerous patients.
To read more about Dr. Diane Mahoney’s work in omics, visit her profile.
High Output Heart Failure and Obesity
High-output heart failure (HOHF) is a condition where patients experience symptoms of heart failure, despite higher-than-normal heart output. Obesity, or how heavy you are, puts you at greater risk of HOHF, but scientists are still unsure why and how HOHF happens in patients with heavy weight.
KU School of Nursing scientists analyzed the entire collection of RNA sequences (leukocyte transcriptomics) in the white blood cells of patients with HOHF. We found significant differences in 116 gene expressions and the associated pathways, and networks. Our analysis provides an essential foundation to further explore the processes our bodies go through with respect to obesity-related HOHF. It also assists with the discovery of biomarkers and interventions to improve patient health outcomes.
To read more about Dr. Qiuhua Shen’s work in omics, visit her profile.