UNC School of Medicine News

• UNC study rewrites textbook on key genetic phenomenon
  Because females carry two copies of the X chromosome to males’ one X and one Y, they harbor a potentially toxic double dose of the over 1000 genes that reside on the X chromosome.
• Study shows that a combination of common genetic variations can lead to schizophrenia
  A multi-national group of investigators, including a scientist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has discovered that nearly a third of the genetic basis of schizophrenia may be attributed to the cumulative actions of thousands of common genetic variants. The effects of each of these genetic changes, innocuous on its own, add up to a significant risk for developing both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
• UNC scientists tackle viral mysteries
  Scientists know that some cancers are triggered by viruses, which take over cellular systems and cause uncontrolled cell growth. Doctors – and patients who get shingles late in life – have also known for many years that some viruses, particularly the herpes virus, can lie dormant in a person’s cells for long periods of time and then reactivate, causing disease. These viruses also cause significant disease in immunosuppressed people and those living with HIV/AIDS.

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