New findings related to testicular cancer, heart disease

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

Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania (USA) have examined the genome of more than 13,000 men, comparing the genetic code of people with testicular cancer, the most common cancer in young people today, with Code of healthy people.

Information is published in the British magazine "Nature" issued on 12/5.

Human gene model. (Photo: Ipsard)

They have discovered four new gene variants that increase the risk of 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 Medical University (also in the US) have discovered a type of gene variant not found in parents, but appears in their offspring.

This variation causes at least 10% of cases of serious congenital heart disease, a phenomenon in the fetus that affects nearly 1% of newborns.

Genetic Professor Rechard Lifton said the most remarkable thing is that the gene variants that cause congenital heart disease are gene variants that cause autism.

According to Lifton, these findings prove to have common causes of common congenital diseases.

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

Identifying the pathogenicity of the disease will open up the prospect of genetic testing to identify those most at risk, and pave the way for studying how to prevent disease from developing or destroying pathogens. .