Thursday, April 27, 2017

Gene-K-O Out of Nowhere!


A study taken place in Pakistan examined the DNA of over 10,000 people for those who had two nonfunctioning gene copies likely caused by mutations that inactivate, or knock out, certain genes. According to the article, “The study suggests that human knockouts could prove valuable evidence for understanding how genes work and for developing drugs.” Studying how the knockout mutations affect certain traits (such as heart rate, blood pressure and blood levels of sugar, cholesterol, hormones or other substances) could point to genes that are potentially safe and effective targets for new drugs.
This is an incredible study that will in turn lead to future strides in the understanding of human diseases and the genetic basis for such inquiries. Reading up on the latest genetic news in science websites is giving me optimism for the future in terms of knowledge of current unknowns and I am excited to be a part of the next generation of science majors who will contribute to such a crucial field of study.
Primary article: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v544/n7649/full/nature22034.html

1 comment:

  1. Cool stuff. It's interesting to see there are natural "knockout" humans out there to further study the effects of genes on health (since human breeding programs are frowned upon). Also, This ties back to lecture because the high prevalence of "knockout" genes in this population has been attributed to consanguineous mating, according to researchers. Some of these people experience good health, so it would be a good place to start to reevaluate specific genetic mutations we commonly associate with disease.

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