"Ni igipimo cyihariye cyane": Ibyo amaraso y'imihango agaragaza ku buzima bwawe

Uhereye kuri endometriosis na kanseri y'inkondo y'umura, kugeza kuri diyabete, kubura vitamini D ihagije, abashakashatsi basanze amaraso y'imihango (ubutinyanka mu Kirundi) agira amakuru agaragaza ku mibereho y'abagore.

Kimwe n'abandi bagore bajya mu mihango, Emma Backlund ntiyashakaga cyane gutekereza ku maraso yatakazaga buri kwezi. Ariko ubwo ikigo gishya cya biotech kitwa NextGen Jane cyamusabaga amaraso y'imihango mu 2023, Emma yiteguye gukusanya udukoresho umunani yifashisha mu gihe cy'imihango imwe akatwohereza muri laboratoire y'icyo kigo i Oakland, California.

Nibyo, bwaru ubusabe budasanzwe, ariko ntibyari bikomeye cyane kandi yarabyishimiye gutanga ubwo bufasha, cyane cyane niba byafasha abakobwa b'ahazaza kwirinda ububabare yanyuzemo akiri muto.

"Nujuje imyaka 11, nabonye imihango yanjye ya mbere maze ntekereza ko ndimo gupfa," niko Emma Backlund, umukobwa w'imyaka 27 wiga muri kaminuza muri Minnesota, US, avuga.

Ati: "Ndibuka nakomeje kubwira mama wanjye ko ngomba kujya kwa muganga. Byari ububabare bukabije, buryaryata, bubabaje k'umutima kandi bukomeza."

Byafashe Backlund imyaka 13 kumenya ko afite endometriosis, indwara ikomeye kandi yangiza ubushobozi bw'umbiri, aho imikaya yo muri nyababyeyi itangira gukurira hanze yayo.

Endometriosis ituma abantu miliyoni 190 ku isi yose - kimwe cya cumi cy'abagore bafite imyaka yo gusama - kugira imihango ikabije, ububabare bukabije mu nda yo hasi, ibibazo by'uruhago n'amara, ndetse n'ubugumba.

Ikibi kurushaho ni uko bifata imyaka hagati ya itanu na 12 kugira ngo iyi ndwara imenyekane, nk'uko byabaye kuri Emma Backlund. Kuyemeza neza bisaba 'laparoscopy', igikorwa cy'ubuvuzi aho kamera ntoya ishyirwa mu gice cy'imbere mu nda (pelvic cavity), nk'uko Ridhi Tariyal, umwe mu bashinze NextGen Jane akaba n'umukuru wayo, abivuga.

Ni yo mpamvu Ridhi Tariyal hamwe n'abandi bakuru b'ibigo bishya bihanga udushya bakora ubushakashatsi bw'igerageza rishya ryo gupima indwara rishobora kuba vuba, rihendutse, kandi ritangiza umubiri nko kubagwa, kandi rikaba ryashobora kugaragaza byinshi kurusha gusa kuba umugore afite uburwayi bwa endometriosis.

Ibanga, nk'uko babyemera, riri mu maraso y'imihango.

Ikirombe cya zahabu ku buvuzi

Amateka avuga ko ibipimo by'inkari (urine samples) byagiye bisesengurwa n'abaganga kuva mu gihe cy'Abababiloni n'Abasumeriya, hafi imyaka 6,000 ishize. Hakurikiyeho ibipimo by'umusarani (stools) n'amaraso yo mu mitsi mu kinyejana kimwe cyangwa bibiri bishize.

Ariko amaraso y'imihango ntiyitaweho cyane n'abaganga.

Nyamara, ni uruvange rw'ibisukika: kimwe cya kabiri ni amaraso asanzwe, mu gihe igice gisigaye kigizwe na proteins, imisemburo, bagiteri, uturemangingo tw'urwungano rw'imbere muri nyababyeyi, n'uturemangingo two mu gitsina imbere, mu miyoborantanga, imirerantanga n'ahandi.

"[mu mihango] Ubona ubwoko bw'uturemangingo n'ibindi bimenyetso bya molekule utabona mu maraso yose, mu macandwe cyangwa mu bindi bipimo," nk'uko Tariyal abivuga. "Ni nk'ikizamini cy'umubiri ku buryo karemano kiguha amakuru ku ngingo z'imyorokere."

Ikigo cya Tariyal, NextGen Jane, giha udukoresho tw'imihango (cotton tampons) ku bashaka kwitabira ubushakashatsi nka Emma Backlund, kandi cyasesenguye ibipimo birenga 2,000 by'amaraso y'imihango ku bagore barenga 330 kuva cyashingwa mu 2014.

"Urashobora gukoresha [amaraso y'imihango] mu gushakisha indwara zose zifata muri nyababyeyi kandi hari nyinshi," nk'uko bivugwa na Christine Metz, umushakashatsi mu bijyanye n'ubuzima bw'imyororokere muri Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research muri Amerika.

Metz yatangiye ubushakashatsi ku maraso y'imihango hagamijwe gutahura ibimenyetso bya endometriosis imyaka irenga icumi ishize, ariko ubu ashishikajwe no kureba niba aya maraso ashobora gutanga ibimenyetso by'izindi ndwara, nka kanseri muri nyababyeyi (endometrial cancer), adenomyosis aho nyababyeyi ikurira aho itagenewe, ndetse na endometritis, ari byo iyangirika rikomeye ry'uduce two muri tw'imbere muri nyababyeyi.

"Amaraso y'imihango afite agaciro kanini mu kumenya ubuzima bwa nyababyeyi, ibintu tutabona ubundi buryo bwo kubigeraho," nk'uko Metz abivuga.

"Ni igipimo cyihariye cyane cy'uturemangingo tw'umubiri." Urugero rumwe, ubushakashatsi bwabonye proteins 385 ziboneka gusa mu maraso y'imihango.

Uretse kuba aboneka buri kwezi, ikindi kintu kiyongera ku maraso y'imihango ni uko atanga ishusho yuzuye y'ubuzima bw'inda ibyara ugereranyije n'utuduce duto dukurwa mu bipimo bya 'endometrial biopsy'.

"Nyababyeyi ifite ubunini bungana n'urubuto rw'umuzabibu, bityo ntabwo uba ubona ishusho yose. Ariko amaraso y'imihango aba ayavuye muri nyababyeyi yose", nk'uko bivugwa na Metz.

Gushaka ibimenyetso byihariye

Kuko amaraso y'imihango amaze igihe kinini atitabwaho mu bushakashatsi bwa siyansi, ntibizwi neza niba endometriosis ifite ibimenyetso byihariye bihagije mu gusuzumwa.

Ariko Metz hamwe n'umufatanyabikorwa we mu bushakashatsi, umushakashatsi mu bijyanye n'uturemangingo (geneticist) Peter Gregersen, basuzumye abagore barenga 3,700, kandi ibisubizo biratanga icyizere.

"Hari itandukaniro rikomeye," nk'uko Metz abitangaza.

Ku rugero rwa mbere, abagore basuzumwe endometriosis bafite uduce duke cyane twa "natural killer" cells, uturemangingo tw'ubudahangarwa bw'umubiri dufasha cyane mu gutwita hakiri kare, mu gutuma igi rivamo umwana rikwirakwira neza, mu gusigasira nyababyeyi, no kurinda indwara zandura. "Bifitanye isano no gusama, bityo kugira uturemangingo duke si byiza," nk'uko Metz abivuga.

Ibyo babonye kandi byerekana ko amaraso y'imihango rimwe na rimwe ashobora gufasha gutahura indwara z'ubudahangarwa bw'umubiri, nka hypo- cyangwa hyperthyroidism."

Ikipe ya Metz kandi yabonye itandukaniro ry'ingenzi mu turemangingo twa 'stromal fibroblast', tugira uruhare mu gukora no gusana munda ibyara nyuma y'imihango.

Iyo endometriosis yari ihari, uturemangingo twagaragaje ibimenyetso byinshi by'ubushye, kandi twashoboraga gukora impinduka zifasha gutegura nyababyeyi gusama. Ibi byahuye n'izindi ndwara, nka polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) n'ibizazane byo kugira inda zivamo kenshi.

'Laboratoire' ya Metz yanagaragaje ko imikorere y'utunyangingo tumwe na tumwe ihinduka ku barwayi bafite endometriosis. Ibi byose bifataiwe rimwe, bitandukana n'ibyo abaganga bashobora gushaka mu igerageza rishya ritangiza umubiri (non-invasive diagnostic test), rishingiye ku gusesengura amaraso y'imihango.

Metz afite icyizere mu gusaba kwemezwa n'Ikigo cya Leta cya Amerika gishinzwe Ibiribwa n'Imiti (FDA) muri Amerika ku gikoresho cyo gupimira amaraso y'imihango mu rugo mu mwaka wa 2027.

Abashakashatsi bo muri NextGen Jane, ku rundi ruhande, barimo kuvana no gusuzuma molekile ya 'messenger RNA (mRNA)' mu maraso y'imihango kugira ngo barebe ibimenyetso byihariye bya endometriosis.

Kugeza ubu, babonye ibimenyetso bike cyane bishobora gutuma batandukanya endometriosis n'abagore bafite ubuzima bwiza ariko batabasha gusama.

Ubushakashatsi bwo muri Amerika burimo gukorwa ku bagore amagana bafite endometriosis kugira ngo bemeze ibyo babonye nk'uko Tariyal abivuga.

Muri Gicurasi(5) 2025, NextGen Jane yahawe inkunga ya $2.2 miliyoni yo gufasha igerageza ry'amaraso y'imihango ryo gutahura endometriosis ku bagore batabasha gusama.

Si ku buzima bw'imyororokere gusa

Gusa amaraso y'imihango afite akamaro karenze na endometriosis gusa. Urugero, ubushakashatsi bwa NextGen Jane bwagaragaje ihuriro rishoboka hagati y'ubuzima bw'imyanya y'imyororokere ku bagore no gusaza k'umuntu.

"Ni amakuru amaze igihe," nk'uko Tariyal abitangaza, ariko urebye hari "ihuriro" hagati y'imihango no gucika kw'imisemburo ya oestrogen mu mubiri, ari byo biganisha ku gusaza.

Kuko umubiri uhinduka kuva ku guhishira (inflammation) kugera ku gukira igisebe n'inkovu mu gihe cy'imihango, ubushakashatsi ku maraso y'imihango bishobora gutanga uburyo bushya bwo kwiga indwara zifitanye isano no guhishira ndetse n'ubudahangarwa bw'umubiri ku byorezo, nka rheumatoid 'arthritis, lupus, na multiple sclerosis', nk'uko Tariyal abivuga.

Amaraso y'imihango yagaragaje ko ashobora no gukoreshwa mu gutahura diyabete.

Mu bushakashatsi bwakorewe muri 2021 na 2024, abashakashatsi baturuka mu kigo cya California kitwa Qvin basanze urwego rusanzwe rw'isukari mu maraso y'imihango rugaragaza neza urwego rw'isukari mu maraso yose y'umubiri.

Ibi byatumye haboneka ikizamini cya mbere kandi cyonyine cyemejwe na FDA cyo gupima sukari mu maraso y'imihango mu 2024 n'impapuro z'isuku zifashiswa mu mihango yitwa Q-Pad, ifite umurongo ushobora gukurwaho wo gukusanya amaraso aho abayikoresha bayohereza mu ma-laboratoire ya Qvin kugirango bapime.

Qvin kandi yagaragaje mu bushakashatsi bwakozwe muri 2022 muri Thailand, ko ingero zakusanyijwe hifashishijwe Q-Pad zashoboye gutahura neza za HPV zishobora guteza ibyago byinshi bya kanseri y'inkondo y'umura, kandi ubu hari igerageza rinini ryo kwemeza aya makuru riri gukorwa muri Amerika.

Nk'uko byagenze, ikigo gishya gikorera i Berlin kitwa "theblood" kiri gukora igerageza ry'ibikoresho byo gupima kugira ngo bifashe gutahura indwara nka endometriosis, menopause iza hakiri kare, n'ibibazo mu gusama. Mbere, muri bushakashatsi buto, berekanye ko urugero rwa vitamini A na D mu maraso y'imihango ruri hafi y'urugero ruri mu maraso yose y'umubiri, nubwo rugenda ruba hasi buhoro buhoro.

"Intego yacu ni uko abagore basuzumwa, bavurwe neza, kandi birinde indwara hakiri kare," nk'uko Isabelle Guenou umwe mu bashinze ikigo Theblood mu 2022, abivuga.

Akiri muto, Guenou yari afite uburibwe bukabije kubera endometriosis, bwatwaye imyaka umunani ngo iboneke neza, ndetse yarayibazwe kenshi.

Amaraso y'imihango ashobora no kwerekana ubwoko bw'udukoko cyangwa imyanda umuntu ahura nayo mu bidukikije, nk'uko ubushakashatsi buto bwa 2022 bwa Metz bwagaragaje, aho phenols, parabens, phthalates n'indi myanda y'ibidukikije yabonetse mu maraso y'imihango y'abakoreweho igerageza bane.

Ubusumbane mu bushakashatsi

Nubwo hari intambwe imaze guterwa, ibijyanye n'amaraso y'imihango biracyarimo amayobera amwe n'amwe. Ikintu kinini, nk'uko abashakashatsi benshi babihurizaho, ni uko tutaramenya neza ibice byose bigize amaraso y'imihango n'ukuntu bishobora guhinduka vuba mu gihe cy'imihango.

Ubushakashatsi kuri iyi ngingo buracyari bushya, cyane cyane kubera imyumvire mibi n'imyemerere y'imico ikiriho kugeza n'ubu ku mihango.

Hari igihe imihango yitwaga amazina menshi atarimo icyubahiro, nka: The Curse (umuvumo); Satan's Waterfall (iriba rya Satani) n'andi.

"Twese twigishijwe ko ari ikintu kizira, ku buryo tutagomba no kukiganiraho," nk'uko Metz abitangaza.

Byarushagaho gukomera kuko ubushakashatsi mu buvuzi bwakorwaga ahanini n'abagabo, kandi hakabura ubushobozi buhagije bw'amafaranga bwo kwiga ku buzima bw'abagore.

Ku rwego rw'isi, ubushakashatsi ku buzima bw'abagore bwagiraga gusa 5% by'ingengo y'imari y'ubushakashatsi n'iterambere mu 2020. Mu Ubwongereza, ubushakashatsi buterwa inkunga na leta ku buzima bw'abagore buri kuri 2.1% gusa by'ingengo y'imari y'ubushakashatsi bwa leta.

"Ubushakashatsi bwinshi kuvumbura imiti bwakozwe cyane ku bagabo, cyane cyane abagabo bafite uruhu rwera," nk'uko Lillelund abivuga. "Hari amafaranga menshi akoreshwa ku bushakashatsi ku ruhara ku mutwe w'abagabo kurusha ku ndwara ya endometriosis."

Kubera ibyo, abashakashatsi ku maraso y'imihango bagomba guhanga, kunoza, no gushyiraho uburyo bwemewe bwo gukusanya, kubika, no gutunganya ibipimo by'amaraso. Kandi amaraso y'imihango ashobora gutandukana cyane hagati y'abagore, haba mu muvuduko w'amaraso, ububobere (viscosity), n'ibindi bintu.

"Muri uru rwego, turi mu buryo bwo gukora tutabona neza," nk'uko Tariyal abitangaza. "Hariho ubushakashatsi bwinshi bushya bugomba gukorwa."

Ariko impinduramatwara mu bushakashatsi ku maraso y'imihango iri ku rugero rukomeye.

"Imbaraga zishyirwa muri uyu murimo zirimo kurushaho kuba nyinshi," Tariyal, avuga ku kuba abashakashatsi, abarwayi, n'abashoramari bafite inyota nshya yo kumenya byinshi kuri uru rwego.

Urugero, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) yatangije umushinga wa miliyoni 10$ muri Nyakanga (7) 2025 wo gukomeza kumenya uko imihango igira ingaruka ku mikorere y'ubudahangarwa bw'umubiri.

Hari n'ibigo bikusanya amaraso y'imihango ku isi hose biri kugenda bivuka.

Intego ni "gushyiraho uburyo abashakashatsi bashobora kubona ibipimo byihuse, neza kandi mu buryo buboneye," nk'uko Karli Büchling, umushoramari ukorera mu Bwongereza, abivuga.

Uyu afasha mu kubaka 'biobank' ya mbere y'i Burayi y'amaraso y'imihango. Ikipe ye izatangira gukusanya ibipimo by'amaraso y'imihango y'abagore mu Bwongereza bakoresheje ibikoresho byabo byo mu rugo (proprietary at-home kits), kandi yizeye ko iyo 'biobank' izaba ifunguye ku bashakashatsi ku giciro gito bitarenze impera z'uyu mwaka.

Abagore benshi, barimo na Emma Backlund, babayeho buri munsi bahanganye n'ububabare buterwa n'indwara ya endometriosis n'izindi ndwara zo munda ibyara, bavuga ko ubu bushakashatsi bwari bukenewe kuva kera.

"Gukura ugira imihango ikubabaza kandi ukibaza icyaba kitagenda bitera kumva uri wenyine no kwigunga cyane,'" nk'uko Backlund abitangaza.

Ariko, niba abashakashatsi ku maraso y'imihango bagira icyo bageraho mu gukora igikoresho cyo gupima kitangiza umubiri, avuga ko byaba byiza ko abakobwa bazahabwa ubuvuzi vuba, bityo bakabarinda ibibazo by'umubiri n'amarangamutima we yanyuzemo akiri muto.