Schizophrenia alters a person's behavior and thought processes. One percent of the world's population is affected by this disorder.

Studies were done on 175 patients with schizophrenia. These patients were more likely to have the variant COMT gene. Normal COMT gene helps process dopamine, a neurotransmitter (a chemical found in the brain). The variant or mutated gene is less active.

The results, also, showed that schizophrenia is caused partly by a gene that affects the levels of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for judgment and abstract thinking.

According to Epicyte (San Diego) President Mich Hein, plants are the most efficient producers of proteins on the planet since they get their energy from the sun and all their nutrients from the soil.

The procedure is done by removing a gene that makes a specific protein from a human cell and inserting it into a plant or animal.

Immunex created three years ago a modified human protein grown in animal cells for rheumatoid arthritis treatment. The drug has been a great success for disease treatment. However, using plants rather than animals will be a safer way of producing human proteins, since plants do not get infected with viruses that infect animals.

Inherited high cholesterol happens when the liver cannot clear fats from the blood. LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein), known as the "bad" cholesterol is significantly high compared to the "good" cholesterol, HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) in patients with high cholesterol levels. 

Many people consume high fat diet, however, not everyone develops heart disease.  Researchers are looking for susceptibility genes for high cholesterol levels within the population. 

The mouse map is important in finding new drugs and sorting out productive genes from unproductive genes common to both mice and humans.

The new discovery will help diagnose depression and alcoholism that run in families.

The condition is known as Leber congenital amaurosis. Infants who are affected are partially blind. This is due to a defect of a gene called RPE65.

Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania used retinal cells from dogs born with the genetic disorder and infected them  with a virus (rendered harmless) carrying the normal RPE65 gene. The mixture was then injected back into the eyes of the affected dogs.

Treated dogs responded well to light and dark stimuli- similar to healthy dogs.

A protein, known as alpha 7 integrin, is deficient in certain types of congenital muscular dystrophy. However, the same protein is found more in patients with Duchenne disease. These patients have less of other proteins important for muscular function.

The scientists treated mice that did not produce enough of these proteins with more of the integrin protein. These mice did not suffer muscular problems and lived three times longer than those of untreated mice.

The study was done in Finland on 171 people who have back pain. Their DNA sequence at a certain gene showed up a similar mutation. The mutation does not necessarily cause the disease, however, it predisposes those affected to back pains.

Cancer blocking genes are knows as tumor suppressor genes. When working properly, they prevent cells from growing wildly. Non-functional tumor suppressor genes lose this ability.

The new suppressor gene that was found, ST7, regulates the production of new blood where tumors cannot grow out of control. ST7 is located on human chromosome 7. It is involved in many tumors, such as brain, liver, pancreatic, skin and several other cancers.

Data from the Human Genome Project helped in determining the location of ST7.