Scientists Discover Baby Heart Disease Gene

A gene that is associated with a form of congenital heart disease found in newborns has been discovered by Newcastle University scientists.

Professor Bernard Keavney led the team of researchers that analysed more than 2,000 newborns, who were born with a hole in their heart, the BBC reported.

Keavney said that his team found that a common genetic variation near a gene called Msx1 was strongly associated with the risk of a particular type of congenital heart disease called atrial septal defect or hole in the heart.

The research is set to be published in the Nature Genetics journal.

Source: ANI