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Genetic Diseases
New Newborn Screening Technology Revives Old Controversies
August 27th, 2007
In 1961, Robert Guthrie developed a method to test newborns for phenylketonuria, or PKU – a genetic disorder that prevents the body from processing a protein found in almost all food, causing severe mental retardation. Now using just one drop of blood, about 4 million newborns in the United States undergo testing each year for PKU, as well as a number of other genetic diseases including sickle cell disease and cystic fibrosis through state newborn screening programs. And promising new DNA-based technology is on the horizon that will greatly expand the medical community’s ability to detect even more genetic abnormalities in newborns. While new...
Source: Health & Medicine Week (2007-08-27)
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