|
 |
Current
Research Projects |
Millions
of genetic programs exist within the human genome. In certain
racial sectors, high-risk polymorphisms exist and cause
life-threatening and life-shortening diseases.
I. African American Polymorphisms
The prevalence of race-specific vascular and endothelial
disease is evidenced in the African American population.
Endothelium-impaired function disorders, such as hypertension
and diabetes mellitus, and the severity of their complications
are considerably more severe in blacks than whites. Evidence
has accumulated that elucidates the genetic connection between
African Americans and vascular and cardiac pathophysiology.
|
 |
African
American Polymorphisms FOCUS |
The focus
of the African American Polymorphisms research project is
to access signal transduction pathways on a genome-specific
scale as related to African American genetic variants carrying
life-threatening codes. |
Genetic
Variations in the African American Population
African
American genetic variants carry the sickle cell anemia
and high blood pressure codes. African Americans
who carry the 894T variant of a specific gene typically
manifest high blood pressure.
In the United States, one of every 650 African Americans
is born with sickle cell disease (SS hemoglobin), and about
8 percent are heterozygous for the sickle cell gene. Additionally,
the T-786C gene in African Americans is related to ACS syndrome
in females with sickle cell disease.
In sickle cell disease, the median age at death is 42 years,
with pulmonary complications accounting for the majority
of reduced life span.
|
The
CRTH2 gene in the peak linkage region on Chromosome
11 is a strong candidate gene for asthma in African
Americans.
In the African American population, the progression
and development of coronary artery disease (CAD) is
related to genetic alterations in the gene encoding
for Encode™ related pathways. |
|
 |
|
|
|
