Researchers have identified four new regions on the human genome associated with Behcet’s disease, a painful and potentially dangerous condition found predominantly in people with ancestors along the Silk Road. For nearly 2,000 years, traders used this 4,000-mile network linking the Far East with Europe to exchange goods, culture and, in the case of the Silk Road disease, genes. National Institutes of Health researchers and their Turkish and Japanese collaborators published their findings in the Jan. 6, 2013, advance online issue of Nature Genetics.

Related posts:

  1. Researchers complete whole-exome sequencing of skin cancer A team led by researchers at the National Institutes of Health is the first to systematically survey the landscape of the melanoma genome, the DNA code of the deadliest form of skin cancer. The researchers have made surprising new discoveries using whole-exome sequencing, an approach that decodes the 1-2 percent of the genome that contains […]...
  2. Medicare Card, NIH investigators discover new gene that affects clearance of hepatitis C virus Medicare Card, NIH investigators discover new gene that affects clearance of hepatitis C virus...
  3. USU study maps hotspots of genetic rearrangement Researchers have zoomed in on mouse chromosomes to map hotspots of genetic recombination — sites where DNA breaks and reforms to shuffle genes. The findings of the scientists at the National Institutes of Health and Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (USU) have the potential to improve the detection of genes linked to disease and […]...
  4. NIH Genomic Mapping Study Finds Largest Set of Genes Related to Major Risk Factor for Heart Disease Scanning the genomes of more than 100,000 people from all over the world, scientists report the largest set of genes discovered underlying high cholesterol and high triglycerides — the major risk factors for coronary heart disease, the nation’s number one killer. Taken together, the gene variants explain between a quarter and a third of the […]...
  5. Researchers identify genetic cause of new vascular disease Clinical researchers at the National Institutes of Health’s Undiagnosed Diseases Program (UDP) have identified the genetic cause of a rare and debilitating vascular disorder not previously explained in the medical literature. The adult-onset condition is associated with progressive and painful arterial calcification affecting the lower extremities, yet spares patients’ coronary arteries. The new disease finding […]...
  6. First online genetics course for social and behavioral scientists A new genetics educational program will provide social and behavioral scientists with sufficient genetics background to allow them to engage effectively in interdisciplinary research with genetics researchers. The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) at the National Institutes of Health, partnered with the National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics to create […]...
  7. Medicare, Gene Variant that may Prevent African Sleeping Sickness also Leads to Increased Chance of Kidney Disease National Institutes of Health researchers and grantees have found that gene variants in APOL1, more common in African Americans, come with both health risk and reward, as reported in the July 15 online issue of Science....
  8. Researchers Identify Gene Mutations Underlying Risk for Most Common Form of Parkinson’s Disease Parkinson's disease, which affects about 1.5 million Americans, is a progressive neurologic disorder caused by the degeneration of nerve cells in the portion of the brain that controls movement....
  9. Medicare, NIH-led study identifies genetic variant that can lead to severe impulsivity A multinational research team led by scientists at the National Institutes of Health has found that a genetic variant of a brain receptor molecule may contribute to violently impulsive behavior when people who carry it are under the influence of alcohol. A report of the findings, which include human genetic analyses and gene knockout studies […]...
  10. Medicare, NIH researchers identify genetic elements influencing the risk of type 2 diabetes Medicare, NIH researchers identify genetic elements influencing the risk of type 2 diabetes: A team led by researchers at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health, has captured the most comprehensive snapshot to date of DNA regions that regulate genes in human pancreatic islet cells, a subset of […]...
  11. Traffic and Road Closure Information If you’ll be driving during the holidays, check out traffic and road closure reports before you head out....
  12. Make a mightier mouse resource for understanding disease Over the next five years, National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded researchers will extensively test and generate data about mice with disrupted genes to gain clues about human diseases. NIH today awarded a set of cooperative agreements totaling more than $110 million to begin the second phase of the Knockout Mouse Project (KOMP)....
  13. How Medicare Coverage Can Help – Gene Mutations Linked to Early-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease An international team has discovered that mutations in either of 2 related genes cause a severe and rare form of inflammatory bowel disease in young children. The discovery allowed the researchers to successfully treat one of the study patients with a bone marrow transplant....
  14. Medicare, NIH-Supported Study, Looks for Earliest Changes, in the Brain That May Lead to Alzheimer’s Disease Volunteers are being sought for a clinical study examining the subtle changes that may take place in the brains of older people many years before overt symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease appear. Researchers are looking for people with the very earliest complaints of memory problems that affect their daily activities. The study will follow participants over […]...
  15. Obama Administration Announces New Steps to Fight Alzheimer’s Disease The Obama Administration is making an additional $50 million available for cutting-edge Alzheimer’s research. The administration’s Fiscal Year 2013 budget will increase funding for Alzheimer’s research by $80 million, plus an additional $26 million for caregiver support, provider education and public awareness about the disease. This new funding will speed up the National Institutes of […]...