Map to simplify ‘sick’ gene hunt
Scientists have generated the full set of distances, routes and degrees of separation between any two human genes, creating a map of gene “shortcuts” to simplify the hunt for disease-causing genes.
Some diseases are caused by single gene mutations. Current techniques for identifying the disease-causing gene in a patient produce hundreds of potential gene candidates, making it difficult for scientists to pinpoint the single causative gene.
Yuval Itan, lead researcher from Rockefeller University said the computer programme he developed to generate the connectome uses the same principles that GPS navigation devices use to plan a trip between two locations.
“High throughput genome sequencing technologies generate a plethora of data, which can take months to search through,” said Itan.
“We believe the human gene connectome will provide a shortcut in the search for disease-causing mutations in monogenic diseases,” Itan said in a statement.
Researchers began with a gene called TLR3, which is important for resistance to herpes simplex encephalitis, a life-threatening infection from the herpes virus that can cause significant brain damage in genetically susceptible children.
Researchers in the St Giles lab, headed by Jean-Laurent Casanova, previously showed that children with HSE have mutations in TLR3 or in genes that are closely functionally related to TLR3.
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