Chromosome 6 Hosts Gene for Susceptibility to Leprosy
By Biotechdaily staff writers
Posted on 20 Feb 2003
Researchers have identified a gene on human chromosome 6 that appears to be related to an individual's susceptibility to contract leprosy, a chronic infectious disease prevalent in more than 91 countries. Their findings were published February 10, 2003, in the online edition of Nature Genetics.Posted on 20 Feb 2003
Investigators from McGill University (Montreal, Canada) conducted a genome-wide search for loci controlling susceptibility to leprosy by analyzing DNA samples from a panel of 86 families, including 205 siblings affected with leprosy from southern Vietnam. They found that the families shared a common gene variant on chromosome 6.
"This discovery will now allow us to study how the gene works and how it influences the infectious process. This is an important step toward the development of innovative prevention and treatment strategies for leprosy,” explained senior author Dr. Erwin Schurr, a researcher at the McGill Center for the Study of Host Resistance.
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