Pathbreaking gene study by Indian scientists
Surajit Dasgupta in New Delhi April 3. — About a dozen genes have been identified by researchers of the Institute of Bioinformatics (Bangalore) through the study of the human X-chromosome. This breakthrough came about with a collaboration with Johns Hopkins University (USA). Dr Akhilesh Pandey, chief scientific adviser to IoB and assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins told The Statesman, "This acid test established that the bioinformatics efforts in India can be internationally competitive." Unfortunately, no Indian agency came forward to finance such a novel scheme. The project was entirely funded by the IoB. For 18 months, 26 scientists of the Indo-US team poured through the available sequence of the X-chromosome to identify genes and other important parts of its DNA. By comparing human X-chromosome to genetic information from chimpanzees, rats and mice, the team uncovered dozens of new genes, many of which are located in regions of chromosome already tied to various diseases, according to the report. Their results, as well as data created by other scientists confirm the existence of some of the newly identified genes. "To my knowledge, this is the first time any Institute has provided an independent analysis of any human chromosome and is the first real large-scale bioinformatics effort of human genome from any research organisation in India," Dr Pandey said. This chromosome research should be seen as an addition to proteomics (study of proteins) that Dr Pandey has been involved in for some time at the JHU. On Dr Pandey's feat, Dr James D Griffin, a co-researcher and member, Leukaemia and Lymphoma Society National Board of Trustees of the JHU wrote to The Statesman: "The team studied proteomics that DNA and RNA encode. Proteins being the active molecules determining the physical structure of cells, in cancers, they indicate how uncontrolled cell-proliferation takes place. This post-genomic approach should take India a long way in developing successful therapies for leukaemia and lymphoma". Dr Pandey's prediction, a year ago, is now closer to reality: "Genomics and proteomics will some day work together to discover new ways of fighting blood- related cancers."
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