New discovery linked to testicular cancer, heart disease

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

The information was published in the British magazine "Nature" on May 12.

Human gene 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 in young men today, with the genetic code of healthy people.

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

Thus, world scientists have so far known about 17 gene variants that increase the risk of testicular cancer.

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

This variant is responsible for at least 10% of cases of severe congenital heart disease, a fetal defect that affects nearly 1% of newborns.

What's most remarkable is that the gene variants that cause congenital heart disease are the same gene variants that cause autism, says genetics professor Richard Lifton.

These findings suggest there may be common causes of common congenital diseases, according to Lifton.

Genetic research is one of the fastest growing areas in medicine.

Identifying the disease-causing gene will open up the prospect of genetic testing to identify subjects at highest risk of the disease, and pave the way for research on ways to prevent the disease from developing or destroy the pathogen./.

According to (TTXVN) - VT