This gene is also involved in a system that can lead to genital cancers.
Scientists of the Ukrainian Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics announced that they were able to discover a gene responsible for disorders of sexual development and infertility. As noted in the Institute's announcement, Ukrainian researchers worked on the topic together with colleagues from Spain and Switzerland.
Scientists managed to identify a gene whose disruption in a certain area leads to failure of sexual development and, as a result, causes a whole series of complications , including infertility. This gene is also involved in a complex system that leads to oncological diseases of the genital organs.
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It is emphasized that the scientists used living models in their study , on which experiments can be carried out and subtle molecular mechanisms of disorders observed in humans can be investigated. The laboratory object was the Drosophila fly, in which the sequence of the DCL3 (STARD8) gene is very similar to the corresponding sequences in other living organisms (insects, vertebrates, mammals and, most importantly, humans).
The work that conducted by a team of scientists under the leadership of Professor Ludmila Livshyts, belongs to the field of fundamental science, but these studies open the prospects of applying the acquired knowledge in practical medicine.
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