THE AMBASSADORS
NEWS SECTION
THE AMBASSADORS
NEWS SECTION
Volume 1, Issues 1
July 1998
Headlines:
Canadian
pharmaceuticals breakthough
into international markets
FRANCE steal World Cup magic from Cup-holders Brazil
INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS
The Atlantic scienticts discovered the gene for the Nova Scotian variant of Niemann-Pick disease
An International scientist has recently identified the gene mutation causing a variant of Niemann-Pick disease. Dr. Wenda Greer, PhD, FCCMG, accociate professor of molecular biology, department of pathology in Dalhousie University and her team have to be congratulated for dicovering the "unique" mutation responsible for the Nov Scotian variant of this rare lethal autosomal recessive disease that has plagued Yarmouth county French Acadians.
Dr. Greer's discovery came 20 yeasrs after Dr. Winsor and Dr. Welch identified 15 sibships with the Nova Scotian (Type D) Niemann-Pick disease in Yatmouth (Am J Hum Genet. 1978, 30: 530-538). Their geneological study helped them to trace all 30 parents back to a French Acadian couple who lived in the late 1600s and early 1700s in Nova Scotia.
Dr. Wenda Greer's 3 year study in Yarmouth discovered the mutation reponsible for the Nova Scotian variant of this genetic disorder. This breakthrough will help in determining heterozygote carriers and making genetic councelling more fruitful.
The Ambassadors sends its congratulations to Dr. Greer and to her excellent team.
