Saturday, February 13, 2010

Genetics and ESRD: An Israeli Breakthrough?

End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) afflicts some 40 million Americans; of thse, some half million are considered terminal. Interestingly, "African and Hispanic Americans [are at] a double-to-quadruple risk for the disease, compared to Caucasians of European ancestry."

But that may all change:

"An Israeli research team ... has discovered new genetic data on a DNA region that could predict who will develop end-stage kidney disease."

Knowing what causes the dread disease is a first step towards developing a treatment protocol for it, and (perhaps) a cure.

Good news.
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