Indian, US scientists unravel genes that cause debilitating mental, muscular conditions

from Upali Ranasinghe in New Delhi

A group of scientists in Bangalore in association with US scientists have tracked down human genes that induce mental retardation and debilitating muscular conditions.

"The Telegraph" in its Sunday edition revealing this said the scientists discovery may be a key that could unravel one of the mysteries of life and the breakthrough help in early detection of ailments and warn who will be susceptible to them.

As many as 43 new genes (all on the X chromosome, one of the two that determines sex) have been listed by researchers at the Institute of Bioinformatics, Bangalore and the McKusik-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University in the US, it said.

In an interview with the newspaper, Krishna Deshpande, the Bioinformatics Institute Director has said that this is the foundation for the big step forward in prenatal diagnosis of congenital mental problems like the Down's Syndrome as well as muscular dystrophy and skeletal deformation.

Down's Syndrome is a genetic condition which causes mild to moderate mental retardation and changes the facial profile. Muscular dystrophy weakens muscles and a stage comes when they slowly stop working.

"Perhaps, new tools could be devised to screen families with a history of such health problems. Our success could encourage others to analyse other chromosomes for genes that trigger other ailments," Deshpande has added.

According to the director, the breakthrough had been published in 'Nature Genetics', a reputed journal that has stringent standards and screening procedures.

Twenty scientists have worked for over a year-and-a-half to list the genes.

One of the scientists has said that apart from its crucial role in determining gender, the X chromosome could well be termed a storehouse of disease-causing genes. The discovery could throw new light on mental retardation linked with genes or even unravel some genes that were not identified so far.

The team's comparative study of the human X chromosome and genetic data of chimpanzees, rats and mice helped in the discovery of the new genes, "The Telegraph" said.

The Institute of Bioinformatics, Bangalore, a non-profit research organisation has launched several collaborative research projects in human genetics and proteins from the time it was set up in May 2002.