Researchers at McGill University have identified the gene responsible for birth defect spina bifida.
The Montreal Gazette reported that researchers at McGill University have identified a gene that is responsible for spina bifida. Spina bifida is a developmental disorder in which the spine does not form completely. It is considered to be the second most common birth defect: heart abnormalities are the most common birth defect.
Spina bifida, or "open spine" (latin translation) causes a defect in the closure of the neural tube during early embryonic formation (first 4 weeks), resulting in exposure of the spinal cord, which during normal formation is closed. Minor conditions may be corrected with surgery, but severe physical paralysis and diabilities can also occur that cannot be corrected by surgery.
Identification of the gene responsible for spina bifida may lead to better treatments for the condition, and aid in identifying parents with genetic factors that have a higher risk of having a child with spina bifida.
Source:
Spina bifida gene identified. Montreal Gazette. Published in the Chronicle Herald, Saturday, April 7, 2007.
