Biotech Updates

Human Genome Project Helps Solve Mystery Diseases

October 9, 2013

A number of mystery diseases had puzzled doctors for years such as neurological problems, mental slowness, or muscle weakness. Through the genome sequencing data from the Human Genome Project, scientists are now starting to understand such diseases.

Dr. Christine Eng of Baylor College of Medicine in the US led a study involving 250 individuals which showed a novel type of sequencing. Baylor has sequenced more patients beyond those in the study and found gene flaws in 1 out of 4. That rate will improve as more genes are linked to diseases, but it's already much higher than the less comprehensive gene tests conducted now, said Rebecca Nagy, a scientist at Ohio State University. "For some of these conditions there could be treatments that are lifesaving," she said.

Read more at http://www.smartbrief.com/10/03/13/mystery-diseases-diagnosed-through-human-genome-project-1#.UlPDrIZHIUM.