Are “flight-or-fight” gene changes linked to disease?

The flight-or-fight response is how our body reacts to a possible threat. Blood goes to our muscles, we get a burst of energy, and our pupils get bigger. First, our body dumps adrenaline into our blood stream. Adrenaline then binds to specific proteins. These proteins start the flight-or-fight response. The proteins that bind adrenaline are adrenergic receptors. There are three types. We’re going to focus on the beta-adrenergic receptors (ADRBs). When adrenaline binds to ADRBs, our heart pumps faster and we get a burst of energy. The ADRB gene makes the ADRB protein. Scientists think that there is a link between changes in the ADRB gene and disease. Researchers at Vanderbilt will use BioVU to look for people with changes in the ADRB gene. Then they will check for links between the ADRB gene changes and any diseases. The goal is to find the same gene change linked to the same disease in different people. This study could help us learn more about certain diseases. It could also help us find new ways to treat these diseases.