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Article: Scientists Discover Genes Responsible For Two Disorders
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- July 30, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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Modern medicine crosses paths with its past today in two
scientific reports linking molecular genetics with centuries-old
medical observations.
In one, scientists discover a gene responsible for a common
disease that causes a dangerous buildup of iron in the body -- a
condition that still is best treated by one of the most ancient
medical practices, bloodletting.
In the other, researchers close the books on a long-standing
medical mystery by finding the gene behind a rare disease described
by Charles Darwin more than a century ago. That disease, which
causes abnormal tooth growth, premature baldness and dysfunctional
sweat glands, also caught the attention of doctors in the American ...