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| Indians lack genetic immunity to HIV/AIDS: Study |
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The study, which is believed to be the largest of its kind in the world, identified a representative set of 75 genes involved in cancer, ageing, eye disease, cardiovascular disorders and neuro-psychiatric disorders, and analysed variations within these genes among the sample population |
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One of the largest biological studies undertaken in India has revealed that people in the subcontinent do not have natural or genetic protection against the HIV virus. The study by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), released on April 25, 2008, found that a known genetic marker against HIV-1 is virtually absent in Indians, making them more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. The study, which was started in 2003, is an attempt to tabulate the genetic landscape of Indians for various diseases, including diabetes and malaria, and involved 150 CSIR scientists and researchers. Its findings have been published in the Journal of Genetics. The study also shows that populations in the south of the country are more vulnerable to HIV than those in the north. It says this is consistent with observations by earlier researchers and the antenatal clinical HIV prevalence survey (2005) that records a higher frequency of HIV among south Indian populations. The gene-mapping study identified a representative set of 75 genes involved in cancer, ageing, eye disease, cardiovascular disorders and neuro-psychiatric disorders, and analysed variations within these genes among the sample population. The study is expected to help formulate “specific drug response/disease predisposition maps” to aid policy decision-making for drug dosage interventions and disease risk management, especially for complex and infectious diseases. It is believed to be the largest such study in the world. Source: www.livemint.com, April 26, 2008 |