Israeli Scientists Discover Gene that Causes Disease
A team of researchers from Jerusalem's Hadassah-University hospital and the Weizman Institute discovered the gene that causes Mucolipidosis IV (ML4), THE JERUSALEM POST reported.
The disease, similar to the Tay-Sachs Syndrome causes psychomotor retardation, blindness and premature death. The discovery of the gene confirmed the hypothesis that the disease is a genetically-induced, biochemical disorder leading to impaired fat breakdown.
The head of Hadassah Hospital's Department of Human Genetics, Professor Gideon Bach said that the discovery is a breakthrough and an "important contribution by Israeli scientists to the Human Genome Project, in the effort to identify new human genes." The new discovery will enable effective population screening for detecting carriers and accurate prenatal testing for families at risk.
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