Ottawa, Ontario-based Children's Hospital launches new genetics study

[Guest guest]

My 10-yr old son, who has been diagnosed with CMT (2 or 4, we're not sure), is

included in this study.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2011/02/22/ottawa-cheo-genetics.html

Doctors at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario announced Tuesday they

will be using new technology to research genetic diseases affecting kids.

Dr. Kym Boycott will use new genomics technology — a product developed in Canada

that allows sequencing of genetic material — to study at least 70 genetic

disorders affecting children.

" Every gene that we discover as part of this initiative will allow us to study

.... the pathways about how this gene interacts in the body, " Boycott said.

Once researchers better understand how troublesome genes work, she said, they

will " hopefully then be able to find ways to change those pathways to improve

the health of the children who are affected. "

While Boycott is based in Ottawa, her research will be conducted by teams across

Canada. About 25 patients and their families in the Ottawa area are set to be

part of her study.

" Many of the families within our study do not have a diagnosis and that's

something that's very upsetting to many families, " Boycott said.

" They want to know exactly what's going on with their children and why it's

happened. "

The federal government and Genome Canada are providing around $5 million in

funding for Boycott's genetic research and a similar B.C.-based study.

Boycott said she hopes to have the first of her research results available to

the medical community by the end of April.

- Jayan

[Guest guest]

Jayan,

This is interesting. Thanks for sharing this news.

Gretchen

>

> My 10-yr old son, who has been diagnosed with CMT (2 or 4, we're not sure), is

included in this study.

>

>

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2011/02/22/ottawa-cheo-genetics.html

>

> Doctors at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario announced Tuesday they

will be using new technology to research genetic diseases affecting kids.

>

> Dr. Kym Boycott will use new genomics technology — a product developed in

Canada that allows sequencing of genetic material — to study at least 70 genetic

disorders affecting children.

>

> " Every gene that we discover as part of this initiative will allow us to study

.... the pathways about how this gene interacts in the body, " Boycott said.

>

> Once researchers better understand how troublesome genes work, she said, they

will " hopefully then be able to find ways to change those pathways to improve

the health of the children who are affected. "

>

> While Boycott is based in Ottawa, her research will be conducted by teams

across Canada. About 25 patients and their families in the Ottawa area are set

to be part of her study.

>

> " Many of the families within our study do not have a diagnosis and that's

something that's very upsetting to many families, " Boycott said.

>

> " They want to know exactly what's going on with their children and why it's

happened. "

>

> The federal government and Genome Canada are providing around $5 million in

funding for Boycott's genetic research and a similar B.C.-based study.

>

> Boycott said she hopes to have the first of her research results available to

the medical community by the end of April.

>

> - Jayan

>