Sunday, December 3, 2017

Research validates five new genes responsible for ALS

An article on Science Daily states the study Dr. Robert Bowser conducted at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center.  The experiment found a link between genes and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. ALS is a fatal disease that progresses over time affecting the motor neurons and ultimately muscle control. A new technology, IBM Watson for Drug Discovery, was used that provided evidence that RNA metabolism has an effect on the development of ALS. It was found that 11 out of the 30 genes linked to ALS were mutated and caused different forms of ALS. These mutations alter RNA metabolism which affect the motor neurons, leading to a loss in muscle control/movement and paralysis. There are 1,500 RNA binding proteins so it is plausible other genes contribute to ALS. With IBM Watson for Drug Discovery, those genes will be tested for and that information will be able to be obtained faster.
Image result for als
I believe the advancement of technology will change medicine. ALS is a horrible disease, with no known cure. Finding five genes that contribute to the disease will be helpful in understand the disease better and coming up with an effective treatment. As technology improves, more genes will be tested and identified. This is just the beginning and the future of medicine seems to be brighter.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/12/171201104101.htm
https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis

1 comment:

  1. I agree that ALS is a horrible disease, and as medical technology advances we will get closer to understanding ALS.

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