Chinese and foreign genetic scientists want to catch hereditary signals of twins

Chinese and foreign genetic scientists want to catch hereditary signals of twins
Cable of September 7 of www.chinanews.com Shenzhen (reporter Zheng XiaoHong) As one of the most potential projects in human genomics research, the biggest epigenetics research project (abbreviated as Epitwin) in the world Start on the 6th. Epitwin project carry on unprecedented further investigation to twins to 5000, to can catch the slight apparent hereditary signal of the difference between mark twins, offer the key target for developing the disease treatment medicine to click. This project is studied the group TwinsUK to jointly initiate by the famous twins of big gene and King's College London of China. The large genetic general headquarters of China lie in Shenzhen of China, check order in the research center for the biggest gene of world now. Epigenetics is that science of heredity is most the fields of the front while studying, mainly explore the activity influencing the gene how chemistry happening in cells at any time is decorated. It may be random that the chemistry decorates some, some may relate to life style or diet, and this kind of influence may be taken the place of more continuously. This project plans to click (usually called CpG island) 20 million the units in twins Methyl carry on mode research,and compare among it is at identical twin. The one different from studying in the past is, this research is not to look for the similarity, but looking for those can explain the difference why the identical twin does not get the same disease. At first with fat, diabetes, irritated response, heart disease, osteoporosis, longevity,etc. for main research object the project, but the research approach can be applied to various common properties and diseases. "Look for essential apparent difference those among the twins, lead us may find those turning on and critical gene closed, thus further look for the pathogenic reason, these genes key target that may become drug therapy very much is clicked. " This project unites the person in charge TimSpector (TwinsUK director, hereditary epidemiology professor of King's College London) Tell like this. "Twins are fairly good medical research objects, in addition, we collect detailed materials and phenotype characteristic of more than one hundred kinds of diseases of twins in more than 17 years, make this research very unique. The research of this kind has been tried only in a few twins up until now, this our research will enlarge the past research by 1000 times. " This project is united the person in charge, big genetic executive president Professor Wang Jun in China and said, "it is one of the main directions of our development in the following five years that epigenetics is studied, this our advanced technology and combination of unique twins sample resources will offer an unprecedented data collection to global scholar. We hope this project can untie some secrets not still solved in human science of heredity, and accelerate its research and application in the field of human health " . Epitwin project expected to cost 20 million pounds (about 30 million dollars) ,The two sides concerned provide funds together.

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