The discovery of a gene behind the absence of eyes in Mexican cavefish may suggest a new way to treat a rare but debilitating disease in humans – homocystinuria.
In homocystinuria, deficiency of an enzyme (cystathionine beta-synthase a, or CBS), blocks the breakdown of two protein building blocks, the amino acids methionine and serine, while a third, cysteine, diminishes. An array of signs and symptoms result.
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