|
|
Article: First gene for clubfoot identified at Washington University School of Medicine.
- Article from:
- Pharma Business Week
- Article date:
- November 17, 2008
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 NewsRX. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Clubfoot, one of the most common birth defects, has long been thought to have a genetic component. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report they have found the first gene linked to clubfoot in humans (see also Washington University School of Medicine).
Their research will be published in the Nov. 7 issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics.
By studying a multi-generation family with clubfoot, the scientists traced the condition to a mutation in a gene critical for early development of lower limbs called PITX1. While other genes are also likely to be linked to clubfoot, the new finding is a first step toward ...