antibiotics treat genetic disorders

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GOOD NEWS ISRAEL

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Antibiotics to Treat Genetic Disorders

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Research carried out at Jerusalem's Shaarei Tzedek hospital among

nineteen children suffering from cystic fibrosis has shown that a

common antibiotic drug can be effective in countering certain genetic

diseases.

Research carried out at Jerusalem's Shaarei Tzedek hospital among

nineteen children suffering from cystic fibrosis has shown that a

common antibiotic drug can be effective in countering certain genetic

diseases.

The Israeli researchers, headed by Dr. Wilschanski and

Professor Eitan Kerem, managed to repair a form of the mutant gene

that causes the inherited lung disease cystic fibrosis using

Gentamicin, antibiotic nasal drops commonly used for eye infections.

The antibiotic has the unusual ability to override a major genetic

defect in cystic fibrosis and tweak DNA transcription in cells.

The new findings, Israel21c reported, were published in the New

England Journal of Medicine and have been hailed by the medical

community as a " major breakthrough " . Dr. Wilschanski and Prof. Kerem

said that their discovery could serve as a basis for treatments of

other genetic disorders, including muscular dystrophy, Hurler's

syndrome, and various types of hemophilia and cancer.

Dr. Wilschanski, of the Gush Etzion town of Elazar, immigrated from

London in 1985 and was recently named the head of the pediatric

gastroenterology department at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem.

" We're at the beginning, and we have a long way to go. But it's a

novel way of looking at genetic disease, and it's also applicable to

other diseases as well, " said Wilschanski to Israel21c. " It holds

hope for this group of patients in a few years time. "

Terry Suttles

877-349-2946

t.suttles@...

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