New findings linked to testicular cancer and heart disease.

Two separate studies of the human genome have uncovered new clues about the genetic causes of testicular cancer and the non-genetic causes of congenital heart disease.

The information was published in the May 12th issue of the British journal "Nature".

The human genome model. Illustration. (Source: Ipsard)

Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania (USA) examined the genomes of more than 13,000 men, comparing the genetic code of those with testicular cancer, the most common cancer among young men today, with the genetic code of healthy individuals.

They have discovered four new gene variants that increase the risk of developing this deadly disease.

Thus, scientists worldwide now know about 17 gene variants that increase the risk of testicular cancer.

Meanwhile, researchers at Yale School of Medicine (also in the US) have discovered a genetic variant that is absent in the parents but appears in their children.

This variant is responsible for at least 10% of serious congenital heart defects, a fetal defect affecting nearly 1% of newborns.

Professor of genetics Richard Lifton said that what is most noteworthy is that the gene variants causing congenital heart disease are the same gene variants that cause autism.

According to Lifton, these findings demonstrate that there may be common causes for common congenital diseases.

Genetic research is one of the fastest-growing fields in medicine.

Identifying the genetic characteristics of a disease will open up prospects for genetic testing to identify individuals at highest risk of developing the disease, and will also pave the way for research into ways to prevent disease progression or eradicate the pathogen.

According to (VNA) - VT