A critical link between research and patient care has been soldered thanks to the new Harvard-Partners Center for Genetics and Genomics. Directed by world-renowned geneticist Raju Kucherlapati, PhD, the center's Laboratory of Molecular Medicine (LMM) will use genetics research to develop diagnostic tests for many common disorders, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and hereditary deafness.
The sequencing of the human genome last year has put genetic testing on the fast track. Researchers are now racing to find out which gene mutations are responsible for different ailments; a disease can be caused by as few as one or as many as several dozen, they say. By pinpointing the genes underlying the disorder, doctors can prescribe the most effective treatment, or invent new ones.
Heidi Rehm, PhD, who oversees the LMM’s hereditary deafness initiative, plans to develop methods to rapidly screen for mutations known to cause deafness. With states across the nation now mandating hearing tests for newborns, her work could have immediate applications.
Researchers led by Cynthia Morton, PhD, associate director of the Harvard-Partner’s Center for Genetics and Genomics, identified one gene linked to hearing loss in 1998 and are looking for more.