An international study conducted by researchers from Australia and New Zealand have uncovered two new gene locations that may reveal insight into the genectic susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS), according to Professor Trevor Kilpatrick, director of Neurosciences at the University of Melbourne (www.unimelb.edu.au) who co-cordinated the study with Dr. Justin Rubio of Florey Neurosciences Institutes.”

“The newly discovered gene locations on chromosomes 12 and 20, offer very promising targets which indicate susceptibility to MS,” Kilpatrick said in a June 09 University of Melbourne press release. “These results are like the key in the door, leading us to where to look for MS susceptibility.”

The study was conducted by members of the ANZgene consortium (www.msaustralia.org.au/msra/research/anzgene.php) is compsoed of more than 40 investigators from 11 institutions in Australia and New Zealand. ANZgene is currently working with The University of Queensland to genotype 2,000 MS DNA samples with 370,000 genetic markers spread across the genome.

Utilizing the MS Research Australia (MSRA) Gene Bank, the 3-year study involved scanning the DNA of 1,618 people with MS and 3,413 people without MS. The researchers targeted in on the two suspect gene locations after scanning the entire human genome and searching for genetic landmarks and progressively narrowing their search to individual genes.

Dr. Rubio added, “These genetic discoveries are a major advance for the field…We expect that within one to two years we will be able to fine map these new regions and identify the genetic changes that underpin these findings. Our next steps include studying how changes in these target genes might influence the development of MS. This work could provide insight into the development of novel therapeutics.”

Researchers are also optimistic that the study is a first step in revealing a link between genetic susceptibility to MS and other autoimmune diseases including Type 1 diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Graves’ Disease, as well as the potential involvement of Vitamin D metabolism in risk of developing these diseases.

To read further on Vitamin D and MS, check out this article:
A Reasonable Approach to Diet and Dietary Supplements for People With Multiple Sclerosis.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 15th, 2009 at 1:40 pm and is filed under All Articles, Studies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.