Hungarian scientists have identified a new gene linked to a rare neurological condition, the head of Semmelweis University’s Institute of Genomic Medicine and Rare Disorders has announced.
After more than two years of research, the team, led by Mária Judit Molnár, found an important genetic link which can affect brain disease.
Molnár said the patient used in their research suffered from muscular dystrophy and a balance disorder. It turned out that her children showed symptoms of autism and schizophrenia.
According to MTI, the team used a device purchased as part of the National Brain Research Program, the only one in the region, which can map the entire human genome.
After preparing the family’s complete genomic map, the researchers carried out the genetic tests. This is a complex analysis because, out of 22,000 human genes, around 3,500 genes have been identified as linked to human diseases. No genetic faults were found in these so they continued the search.
Anikó Gál, a member of the research team, said the Hungarian researchers carried out functional tests in the laboratory of György Hajnóczky in Philadelphia as part of a scholarship program. The test revealed a mutation of the gene MSTO1, she said.