Due to the emergence of an extra chromosome called Chromosome 21 children with Down's syndrome should undergo gene therapy for genetic disorders experienced ease. But recently a group of American scientists claimed to have found another method that is his lethal chromosome 21.
The team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, admits to prevent a child suffering from Down's Syndrome after doing tests on human stem cells grown in the lab and designed sedemikiran their way to 'suffer' from Down's Syndrome.
Then the researchers added a gene called XIST to the cells. This gene was previously known to have an important role in the development of natural cells being able to turn off the two X chromosomes were found in female embryos.
But it turns out the researchers found that the XIST gene can also be used in the same way to turn off an extra copy of chromosome 21 were found in people with Down's Syndrome.
BBC News, lead researcher Dr. Jeanne Lawrence said, "This research shows that we have a new way to study the cellular basis of Down's Syndrome, which can later help identify new drugs for patients with this genetic disorder."
"And at the same time we can make it real, though still to be proven, but it seems in the future you only need to use a single gene to correct the excessive expression of the chromosome as a whole," he added as quoted by the Daily Mail, Friday (19/7 / 2013).
Researchers believe that this breakthrough could be an alternative therapy for treating Down's Syndrome patients. Even so, the researchers claim it still takes many years to ensure the effectiveness of this method they found.
Down's syndrome itself is a genetic condition that causes a person to have trouble learning and a number of physical disorders due to an extra chromosome called Chromosome 21. Among height below average, eyeball upward sloping, smaller ears and muscle tone (muscle tone) is low.
Down's syndrome patients are also prone to suffer from heart defects, thyroid disorders, Alzheimer's disease until early blood.
