Study links gene with DiGeorge heart defects:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
A US team has discovered a critical gene responsible for cardiovascular defects in patients with DiGeorge Syndrome, a hereditary condition claimed to be the second leading cause of heart disease in children. The discovery of the gene, called Tbx1, paves the way for prenatal testing for a defect associated with the gene, thus opening the door to treatment at birth or to the new surgical techniques developed for patients still in the womb. The finding is described by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the journal Cell (February 23).