Chromosome 22 News and Research

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Humans normally have 46 chromosomes (23 pairs) in each cell. Two copies of chromosome 22, one copy inherited from each parent, form one of the pairs. Chromosome 22 is the second smallest human chromosome, spanning about 50 million DNA building blocks (base pairs) and representing between 1.5 percent and 2 percent of the total DNA in cells.

In 1999, researchers working on the Human Genome Project announced they had determined the sequence of base pairs that make up this chromosome. Chromosome 22 was the first human chromosome to be fully sequenced.

Identifying genes on each chromosome is an active area of genetic research. Because researchers use different approaches to predict the number of genes on each chromosome, the estimated number of genes varies. Chromosome 22 likely contains between 500 and 800 genes.

Genes on chromosome 22 are among the estimated 20,000 to 25,000 total genes in the human genome.

UCLA study characterizes brain differences between people with genetic risk for schizophrenia, autism

A UCLA study characterizes, for the first time, brain differences between people with a specific genetic risk for schizophrenia and those at risk for autism, and the findings could help explain the biological underpinnings of these neuropsychiatric disorders.

24 May 2017

Study identifies potential Achilles heel of kinase-driven cancers

Scientists identify two signaling proteins in cancer cells that make them resistant to chemotherapy, and show that blocking the proteins along with chemotherapy eliminate human leukemia in mouse models.

22 Mar 2017

Scientists identify microrna that provides clues for quieting auditory hallucinations of schizophrenia

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have identified a small RNA (microRNA) that may be essential to restoring normal function in a brain circuit associated with the "voices" and other hallucinations of schizophrenia.

30 Nov 2016

Einstein researcher receives $7.5 million NIH grant to study genetics of congenital heart disease

The National Institutes of Health has awarded Bernice Morrow, Ph.D., at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and collaborators at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia a five-year, $7.5 million grant to study the genetics of congenital heart abnormalities.

22 Nov 2016

New mouse model reveals underlying brain changes linked to autism's social, learning problems

A new mouse model of a genetically-linked type of autism reveals more about the role of genes in the disorder and the underlying brain changes associated with autism's social and learning problems.

11 May 2016

Variations in RANBP1 gene may disrupt brain signaling in neuropsychiatric conditions

Scientists have identified a gene that appears to play a significant role in raising a person's risk of having more severe subtypes of autism that co-occur with other genetic diseases, such as the chromosomal disorder 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

20 Jan 2016

Low birth weight, preterm birth increase schizophrenia risk in individuals with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome

Low birth weight and preterm birth appear to increase the risk of schizophrenia among individuals with a genetic condition called the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, a new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) shows.

14 Aug 2015

Study: Growth hormone can improve social impairment in patients with Phelan-McDermid syndrome

A growth hormone can significantly improve the social impairment associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in patients with a related genetic syndrome, according to a pilot study conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published yesterday on Pub Med, a public database of biomedical topics maintained by the National Institutes of Health (study originally published in the December 12 issue of the journal Molecular Autism).

20 Feb 2015

Study could lead to potential therapeutic targets to treat Ewing Sarcoma

A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the journal PLoS One finds alterations in expression of genes PIK3R3 and PTEN, more commonly observed in adult tumors, in the rare, young-adult bone cancer Ewing Sarcoma, potentially offering ways to improve therapy.

4 Feb 2015

Research findings may lead to new treatment strategies for Ewing sarcoma

The genetic abnormality that drives the bone cancer Ewing sarcoma operates through two distinct processes - both activating genes that stimulate tumor growth and suppressing those that should keep cancer from developing. These findings by Massachusetts General Hospital investigators, published in the November issue of Cancer Cell, may lead to new therapies targeting these aberrant mechanisms.

18 Dec 2014

Researchers explore gene expression in normal vestibular nerves, vestibular schwannomas

Researchers from the University of Toronto, directed by Drs. Gelareh Zadeh and Boris Krischek, investigated gene expression in normal vestibular nerves and vestibular schwannomas (VSs).

24 Sep 2014

Brain circuit problem may contribute to auditory hallucinations of schizophrenia

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have identified problems in a connection between brain structures that may predispose individuals to hearing the "voices" that are a common symptom of schizophrenia. The work appears in the June 6 issue of the journal Science.

6 Jun 2014

Teva's SYNRIBO for injection receives FDA approval for home administration

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE:TEVA) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved SYNRIBO® (omacetaxine mepesuccinate) for injection, for subcutaneous use, to include home administration, and also approved a related Medication Guide and Instructions for Use.

6 May 2014

Genetic evidence confirms role of group of virus-fighting genes in cancer development

Researchers have found a major piece of genetic evidence that confirms the role of a group of virus-fighting genes in cancer development.

15 Apr 2014

Researchers identify gene variants that substantially increase risk for schizophrenia

Schizophrenia has long been known to be highly heritable and is present in approximately 1% of the population. Researchers have been following two paths in their pursuit of identifying schizophrenia risk genes.

20 Feb 2014

FDA grants full approval of SYNRIBO for injection

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted full approval of SYNRIBO (omacetaxine mepesuccinate) for injection. This oncology portfolio product received an accelerated approval in October, 2012 with additional clinical trial data required to fulfill post marketing requirements set forth by the FDA.

13 Feb 2014

Natera initiates distribution partnership with ProPath for Panorama non-invasive prenatal screening test

Natera, a leading innovator in prenatal genetic testing, today announced the initiation of a distribution partnership with ProPath, a wholly physician-owned provider of pathology services to clinicians and medical facilities in the United States, for its Panorama non-invasive prenatal screening test (NIPT).

From Natera 12 Feb 2014

Changes to LZTR1 gene predispose people to develop schwannomas

Changes to a gene called LZTR1 predispose people to develop a rare disorder where multiple tumors called schwannomas form near nerve pathways, according to a study published today in the journal Nature Genetics and led by researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

24 Dec 2013

‘Distinct’ bipolar pathways revealed

A genetic analysis reported in Nature suggests two mechanisms that could lead to bipolar disorder.

25 Oct 2013

Mechanism preserving genome integrity help develop new therapies against DiGeorge syndrome

An international team of scientists-including researchers at GENYO, the Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (Pfizer-University of Granada- Andalusian Regional Government)-has described a molecular mechanism that facilitates the defence of the human genome against "bombarding" by mobile DNA sequences.

10 Oct 2013