Scientists on Wednesday released the finest-detailed map yet of variants in the human genetic code, declaring it should help unlock inherited causes of disease and reveal secrets of evolution.
The “second generation” blueprint of human genetic variation, published in the British journal Nature, unveils minute differences in the genome of 270 people, from Nigeria and Utah to China and Japan. Individuals are more than 99% the same at the genetic level.
Understanding the tiny fraction of material that varies can highlight vulnerability to disease, response to pharmaceutical drugs and reaction to environmental triggers such as ozone pollution and pollen. These variants are usually inherited as small blocks of genetic code, called haplotypes.
A first version of the socalled HapMap, published in 2005, uncovered around one million single variants in the genetic code, known as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The higher-resolution update boosts the tally to more than 3.1 million SNPs, according to the compilers, gathered in the International HapMap Consortium. This will boost compare-and-contrast power to investigators seeking to understand why some individuals are prone to a specific ailment while others are immune to it.
Excerpted: Times Of India Delhi; Date: Oct 19, 2007; Section: International; Page: 21
The “second generation” blueprint of human genetic variation, published in the British journal Nature, unveils minute differences in the genome of 270 people, from Nigeria and Utah to China and Japan. Individuals are more than 99% the same at the genetic level.
Understanding the tiny fraction of material that varies can highlight vulnerability to disease, response to pharmaceutical drugs and reaction to environmental triggers such as ozone pollution and pollen. These variants are usually inherited as small blocks of genetic code, called haplotypes.
A first version of the socalled HapMap, published in 2005, uncovered around one million single variants in the genetic code, known as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The higher-resolution update boosts the tally to more than 3.1 million SNPs, according to the compilers, gathered in the International HapMap Consortium. This will boost compare-and-contrast power to investigators seeking to understand why some individuals are prone to a specific ailment while others are immune to it.
Excerpted: Times Of India Delhi; Date: Oct 19, 2007; Section: International; Page: 21
1 comment:
Yes, it is a fact that there are some people who are more prone to certain disease than other. This may be the one of the solutions. Unlocking the inherited cause of a disease isn't easy. This kind of research deserves funding.
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