Possible Down syndrome genetic correction found

Scientists silenced the extra copy of a chromo- some that causes Down syndrome in laboratory stem cells, offering the first evidence that it might be possible to correct the genes causing the disorder.

The findings, published last week in the journal Nature, offer new cell models for potential treatments, research- ers said. The models, aided by gene-manipulating technology from Sangamo Biosciences Inc., might help researchers discover drug targets for other ill health effects of the syndrome, including heart disease, hearing difficulties, and weak muscles.

Down syndrome slows physical and intellectual development. About 6,000 babies are born every year with the condition, which is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21. While some genetic disorders have been easier to study, Down syndrome is more complex, said Robert Nussbaum, chief of genomic medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

"This might allow us to have a thorough description of what goes wrong," - Bloomberg News