Second MND gene mutation in one year signifies rapid research progress
Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 14:21
in Biology & Nature
A collaborative research project involving Professor Christopher Shaw of the Institute of Psychiatry, King`s College London (KCL), Dr Tom Kwiatkowski at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Professor Robert H Brown at University of Massachusetts, has revealed that mutations in a gene called FUS (fused in sarcoma) cause familial Motor Neuron Disease (also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). This is the second gene to be discovered for ALS in just one year and is an important step towards understanding disease mechanisms. The research was published on line in two back-to-back papers in the journal Science today.