Recent Breakthroughs and Discoveries from The Brave New World of Genetics

One of the most significant scientific achievements of the twentieth century was the discovery and subsequent exploration of human DNA, the helix-shaped cellular structures that contain the genetic information that controls everything from our physical appearance to our risk of developing certain illnesses.

Despite the complexity of DNA, substantial strides have been made in genetic research over the past several decades. Today, scientists can decode the hidden information in human genes with a great deal of accuracy. Recent studies in the field have uncovered a treasure trove of important health information.

Groundbreaking Treatment Developed for Deadly Genetic Disease

Although it has long been recognized that many serious health conditions are passed on genetically, the process of developing preventive treatments for genetic diseases has remained a persistent challenge for decades.

However, the significant strides that have been made toward understanding the mechanisms of genetic inheritance over the last several years have finally granted scientists the ability to develop treatments that can be effective for these types of health conditions.

The genetic illness known as Hunter syndrome is one of the most dangerous inherited diseases. Although relatively rare -- it occurs in roughly 1 of 161,000 individuals -- it is almost always associated with premature death for those diagnosed with the disorder.

People with the disorder are born without a particular enzyme that helps remove cellular waste from the body. Without this mechanism for clearing cellular waste, a wide array of health problems can occur. Most significantly, those with Hunter syndrome typically experience serious damage to their internal organs and tissues. In many cases, it is this damage that is blamed for Hunter syndrome patients? premature deaths.

The symptoms of Hunter syndrome are not always readily apparent in infancy and young childhood, so the illness is often not detected until years later. Unfortunately, by middle childhood, many patients have already begun to experience severe health problems. Once a definitive diagnosis is made, the prognosis is often grim. Few children with Hunter syndrome live past the age of 10.

Using the newly emerging tools of genetic research, however, scientists have recently developed a treatment for this once-untreatable disorder. Because detailed analyses of the mechanism of the disorder revealed a great deal of information about the role of the missing enzyme that causes the disease, researchers have now been able to develop a synthetic version of the enzyme.

Now, patients with Hunter disease are able to receive weekly treatment in which the missing enzyme is introduced into their bodies. As a result, many of the ill effects of the disease can be reversed, and the mortality rate associated with Hunter syndrome is expected to drop precipitously, as well.

Genetic Links to Type II Diabetes Found

For decades, it was thought that Type II, adult-onset diabetes was a condition that was brought on almost entirely as a result of poor lifestyle choices such as an unhealthy diet and a lack of exercise. Although obesity is still believed to play a more role in causing Type II diabetes, a research team comprised of scientists from the United States and Finland has found a number of genetic markers that seem to be associated with an increased risk for adult-onset diabetes.

Over ten significant genetic markers associated with different aspects of diabetes were found in the study, which analyzed the genes of a large group of diabetic and non-diabetic study participants. The researchers reported that these findings will be used to help develop more accurate methods of screening for and diagnosis Type II diabetes.

Baldness Genes Discovered, Treatment a Possibility

It has long been suspected that maternal genes were responsible for causing male pattern baldness, but the findings of a research team at the University of Pennsylvania specifically identified the gene that either promotes or impedes normal hair growth and regeneration over the course of the lifespan.

While that may come as bad news to some, the research team also reports that it may have developed a technique for forcing the abnormal gene to switch back on and begin producing new hair again, even after a person has gone totally bald. Interestingly enough, the method of follicle regeneration calls on relatively new research that has been conducted in the area of stem cell reproduction. However, those with thinning hair are cautioned to have patience -- it is unlikely that a viable treatment will be developed for public use in the near future.

Check back next week for more health science news!