Switching Off The Extra Chromosome That Causes Down's Syndrome

The third copy of chromosome 21 that causes Down's syndrome has been silenced in a cell culture model of the disorder, a Nature paper reports this week. The research marks a step towards 'whole chromosome therapy' for disorders such as Down's, and should aid research into the basic biology underlying these disorders. Jeanne Lawrence and colleagues used an enzyme to introduce an RNA gene, called XIST, into cultured stem cells derived from Down's syndrome patients. XIST RNA coated the extra third copy of chromosome 21, silencing the genes on it...
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Genetics Source Type: news