A disorder caused by a mutation in a single gene. For example, cystic fibrosis which is caused by mutations in the CTFR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) gene.
Two new studies have shown that alterations in a single gene are associated with severe obesity and 'binge-eating' behaviour in some people. A team at Cambridge University in the UK found that around five or six per cent of severely obese people studied inherited a particular version of a gene...
A new study by US researchers suggests that gene therapy could be used to treat Huntington's disease (HD), a severe inherited brain disorder. Scientists at the University of Iowa have used a new technique to 'silence' the gene that makes the protein involved in HD in laboratory-grown human cells. 'When...
Gene therapy trials taking place in France and the US were suspended last week after a boy being treated at the Paris Necker Hospital developed leukaemia-like symptoms following treatment. French public health officials ordered a halt to the trials while they undertook an investigation and the decision was quickly mirrored...
Scientists have discovered a gene that is responsible for an inherited form of cleft lip and palate. A pair of twins born in Brazil were found to be genetically identical, but a doctor noticed that one of them had been born with a cleft palate, while the other had not...
This week, the UK Human Genetics Commission launched a public consultation on so-called 'over the counter' genetic tests. The launch received precious little attention from the media but, when it comes later this year, its conclusion may be rather more newsworthy. At the moment, most of us have little reason...
Scientists from the Cancer Genome Project (CGP) at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge, UK, have discovered that a mutation in a single gene - called BRAF - is a common element in approximately 70 per cent of malignant skin cancers. The mutation is similar to another that is known to...
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, US, have reported that they have discovered that a single gene, 'essential' to embryo development, is lacking in many cloned embryos. The research is published in the journal Genes and Development. The gene, known as Oct4, must be expressed at certain levels and at...
Great Ormond Street Hospital in London has a brand new laboratory which will be used for research into genetic diseases and especially gene therapy for sick children. The new unit is partly funded by the Jeans for Genes campaign (see Recommends for details) and the Institute for Child Health. The...
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