The manuscript by Girotto et al. describes the discovery of new genes and pathways that underlie normal hearing function. The strategy applied combines the power of studying isolated populations with a) a general screening of hearing function, b) high-throughput SNP analysis, c) Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS), and d) up-to-date in silico pathways construction. Data […]
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Unexpected findings in cancer predisposition genes detected by array comparative genomic hybridisation: what are the issues? (Contributed by Dr Gabriella Pichert)
Developmental delay, learning difficulties, behavioural abnormalities and birth defects are often caused by gains or losses of genetic material. Array comparative genomic hybridisation (aCGH) is a new technology which is more sensitive than previous technologies, and therefore detects these causative changes and provides a diagnosis in more patients than was previously possible. However, a(CGH) may […]
Germline PALB2 mutation analysis in breast–pancreas cancer families (Contributed by Zsofia K. Stadler, MD)
Genetic mutations in the PALB2 gene have been implicated in predisposition to pancreatic cancer as well as breast cancer. The goal of this study was to evaluate whether PALB2 mutations are also found in families that have a history of both breast and pancreatic cancers. In 77 breast-pancreas cancer families, including 22 patients with a […]
Call for Abstracts/Papers, Fourth Summit on Systems Biology, June 15-17, Richmond, Virginia, USA
Summit on Systems Biology 2011 Molecular Networks and Disease June 15-17, 2011 at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Virginia http://www.vcu.edu/csbc/systemsbiologysummit/ The overarching goal of this summit is to bring together key individuals applying systems approaches to research in molecular medicine and its application to the diagnosis or treatment of disease and to encourage discussion and […]
Kearns-Sayre syndrome caused by defective R1/p53R2 assembly (Contributed by Dr Robert Pitceathly)
RRM2B is a nuclear gene that encodes p53R2, a protein required for synthesising mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Accumulation of multiple mtDNA deletions in muscle and other tissues is a relatively frequent cause of mitochondrial disease in adults. Multiple mtDNA deletions arise because of faulty mtDNA replication, and we now show that 4% of 50 patients seen […]
C14ORF179 encoding IFT43 is mutated in Sensenbrenner syndrome (Contributed by Heleen Arts, PhD)
Sensenbrenner syndrome is a rare inherited disorder with dysmorphic symptoms. Prominently, the skeleton, nails, teeth, and hair are affected. This can be accompanied by chronic kidney disease, retinal degeneration, and other features. Sensenbrenner syndrome results from dysfunction of the cilium, a protrusion of the cell surface that somewhat resembles an antenna, also regarding its sensory […]
CHD7 mutations and CHARGE syndrome: the clinical implications of an expanding phenotype (Contributed by Jorieke EH Bergman, MD)
CHARGE syndrome involves multiple congenital anomalies caused by mutations in the CHD7 gene. In our study, we evaluated the clinical characteristics of 280 patients with CHD7 mutations and confirmed that the clinical presentation is highly variable. Even family members, who all had the same mutation, were variably affected. We also report some individuals who have […]
A 4.6kb genomic duplication on 20p12.2-12.3 is associated with brachydactyly type A2 in a Chinese family (Contributed by Professor Yiming Wang)
Brachydactyly is a hereditary disease characterized by malformation of finger(s)/toe(s). A group of German scientists reported that duplication on Chromosome 20 is associated with the condition. We have studied this disorder in a Chinese family. We found that a 4.6kb duplication, smaller than the German group reported, on Chromosome 20, appeared in all the brachydactyly patients, […]
Sweating ability and genotype in individuals with X-linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (Contributed by Dr. Holm Schneider)
Individuals with X-linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (XLHED) lack a normal sweat response, placing them at life-long risk for severe overheating. This study reports on the use of non-invasive technologies for assessing sweat gland function, and correlated the results with the nature and location of EDA gene defects underlying XLHED. In contrast to previous reports on […]
Melanoma risk for CDKN2A mutation carriers who are relatives of population-based case carriers in Australia and the UK (Contributed by Dr. Anne E Cust)
In this study conducted in Australia and the United Kingdom, we estimated that about 18% of people with a CDKN2A mutation would develop melanoma by the age of 50 years, and about 50% would develop melanoma by age 80 years. These lifetime risks are substantially higher than the risk of melanoma for the general population. […]