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S’pore, China scientists discover six new genes linked to leprosy

SINGAPORE — The development of genetic screening for individuals highly susceptible to leprosy has received a boost following the discovery of six new genes that influence the risk of contracting the disease.

A photomicrograph of mycobacterium leprae taken from a leprosy skin lesion. Photo: A*STAR

A photomicrograph of mycobacterium leprae taken from a leprosy skin lesion. Photo: A*STAR

SINGAPORE — The development of genetic screening for individuals highly susceptible to leprosy has received a boost following the discovery of six new genes that influence the risk of contracting the disease.

The discovery was made by scientists from A*STAR’s Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences.

Based on a study of over 8,300 Chinese patients, the discovery was reported in scientific journal Nature Genetics. This brings the total number of known genes that influence the risk of contracting leprosy to 16. From these 16 genes, a person could theoretically carry 32 copies of the detrimental genes since human genes come in pairs.

The scientists found that if a person carries one detrimental gene for leprosy, the risk of developing leprosy increases by 20 to 50 per cent, said GIS in a statement released today (March 6). Those carrying 20 or more detrimental genes — about 10 per cent of the population — face eight times more risk of contracting leprosy compared to people carrying 12 or less detrimental genes, about 12 per cent of the population.

“Although commonly viewed as a medieval affliction, leprosy remains a major health problem in developing countries, claiming over 200,000 new patients worldwide annually with two to three million people permanently disabled,” said Professor Jianjun Liu, GIS’ Deputy Director for Research Programmes and senior author of the study.

“With the discovery of more gene variants that affect the risk of developing leprosy, we can develop better diagnostic, treatment and preventive strategies to one day eradicate leprosy permanently,” Prof Liu added.

Said GIS, the discovery also paves the way for the possibility early detection, by way of developing a genetic test to screen for high-risk individuals to leprosy.

Individuals who are infected with leprosy may not be aware of their condition and unconsciously spread the disease to others, as symptoms of leprosy do not usually appear till after five to 20 years of the initial infection, GIS said.

“Currently, it is not possible to do early diagnosis and preventative treatment for leprosy. Our findings will help to make it happen,” said co-senior author Prof Furen Zhang, Research Director at the Shandong Provincial Institute of Dermatology and Venereology, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences.

Additionally, the ability to predict the risk of contracting leprosy can help policymakers when drafting preventative measures for medical staff working in close contact with leprosy patients, a high-risk environment, noted GIS.

Meanwhile the study could also contribute to understanding the biology of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, said GIS. It found that genes linked to leprosy affect the level of aggression expressed by the immune system, observed in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. A person with an overly-aggressive immune system stands a higher risk of developing autoimmune diseases, despite having a good defence against infection. In these cases, white blood cells attack healthy cells, which can lead to death in severe cases.

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