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We've known for decades that multiple sclerosis (MS), like most diseases, has a genetic component. The sequencing of the human genome along with the advent of inexpensive rapid gene sequencing technology (JW Gen Med May 8 2008) open the possibility of pinpointing genetic vulnerability to MS.
A multi-institutional U.S. team studied three sets of identical twins: one in each pair had MS, and one was unaffected. The sequence of every gene was determined for one pair; for all three pairs, the researchers evaluated genes that were turned on (“expressed”) in CD4+ cells (which are involved in the pathophysiology of MS), as indicated by levels of messenger RNA.
No differences were found in gene structure or gene function within the twin pairs. Wherea…