La depressione potrebbe essere un'eredità lasciata dall'uomo di Neanderthal all'uomo moderno, così come la predisposizione ad alcuni difetti del sistema immunitario, metabolico, della pelle e persino la dipendenza dalla nicotina. A dimostrarlo sono stati i ricercatori coordinati da John Capra, della Vanderbilt University di Nashville, mettendo a confronto gruppi di geni isolati da resti di Neanderthaliani con quelli di individui moderni sani.
"Il DNA dei Neanderthal - spiega Capra nello studio pubblicato sulla rivista Science - influenza caratteristiche cliniche dell'uomo moderno, quali malattie immunologiche, dermatologiche, neurologiche, psichiatriche e riproduttive".
I ricercatori hanno trovato delle variazioni nel DNA che influiscono sulla pelle dell'uomo moderno, in particolare sul rischio di sviluppare lesioni prodotte dal sole. Ancora, verrebbe da questi antenati infatti l'esposizione al rischio di dipendenza da nicotina, così come quello della depressione. Un gran numero di frammenti del DNA di questi antenati è associato ad effetti psichiatrici e neurologici.
Ansa/sdr
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