>>13123158iguanases are really well documented, it’s a new and challenging finding that we are learning from. In particular, we’ve seen a lot of cases where women are the ones that have the higher mutation rate, compared to their male counterparts. So we think that for the time being it may be a sex-specific mutagen, and then from that you may be able to predict the future.
Dr. Yang’s team also determined that the genetic mutations are not random, but in many cases are inherited. The researchers looked at the mutations that were shared by affected siblings, including mutations that appear within the same gene. If a mutation is inherited, it may happen again in future generations, making certain individuals prone to disease.
They also saw other mutations that were independent of one another. These mutations didn’t cluster together in families or individuals and are possible due to the mutagenic effects of the environment, as well as mutations that are not related to the disease.
Although a genetic link to the disease has been found in some patients, not all mutations in the same gene are associated with the disease. The researchers found that mutations in the BAP1 gene were common among the cases, but were also found in the general population
