BOSTON – Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School have found a way to shut down the extra chromosome that causes the developmental problems and intellectual disabilities in people with Down syndrome.
The result was accomplished only with human cells grown in laboratory dishes. The UMass team found a way to suppress the expression of that extra chromosome, raising the possibility that eventually, a similar shutdown could be engineered in people.
The discovery was published Wednesday in the journal Nature.
Dr. Brian Skotko, co-director of the Down Syndrome Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, who was not involved in the study, told The Boston Globe the development wasn’t “within the current realm of scientific dreaming.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.