Schizophrenia Daily News Blog

New Gene Sheds Light on Brain

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING; Scientists find gene that expresses differently in left, right cerebral cortex

Researchers at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, have discovered a gene called LM04 which they say "is expressed differently in the cerebral cortex - "the outer layer of the brain, consisting of nerve cells and the pathways that connect them" - in the left brain, compared to the right brain..." This discovery may have many implications. Scientists are suggesting that it may help them "understand how in most people one side of the brain achieves dominance over the other." But, the most important aspect of this discovery maybe its ability to possibly shed light on "a host of human neurological diseases, including dyslexia, schizophrenia and other disorders..."

The new research is based on earlier studies showing that certain genes do act differently in various areas of the brain. It was also well-known that specific patterns of gene expression are involved in laying out the body's basic architecture, ensuring the heart is on the left, for example, while the liver and pancreas also grow where they're supposed to...A report on the findings is published in the May 12, 2005, edition of Science Express, which publishes select articles from science magazine online.

Source:
http://www.hhmi.org

Full Story:
http://tinyurl.com/bt77u