冰桶挑戰捐款幫助發現致病基因
Ice Bucket Challenge funds gene discovery in ALS (MND) research
The Ice Bucket Challenge that went viral in 2014 has funded an important scientific gene discovery in the progressive neurodegenerative disease ALS, the ALS Association says.
Scientists have identified a new gene contributing to the disease, NEK1.
科學家已經發現了一種導致該病癥的新基因NEK1.
The Ice Bucket Challenge has raised $115m from people pouring cold water over themselves and posting the video on social media.
冰桶挑戰共募集了1.15億美元,參與挑戰的人們將冰水潑到自己身上,并在社交媒體發布視頻.
It was criticised as a stunt, but has funded six research projects.
該活動曾被批為噱頭,但所獲捐款資助了六個研究項目.
More than 80 researchers in 11 countries searched for ALS risk genes in families affected by the disease.
11個國家的80多位研究員在受病癥影響的家族中尋找漸凍癥的風險基因.
"The sophisticated gene analysis that led to this finding was only possible because of the large number of ALS samples available," Lucie Bruijn of the ALS Association says.
美國漸凍癥協會的科學家露西•布魯因說："因為有大量可供研究的漸凍癥病例,才使復雜的基因分析得以實現,也才有了今天的成果."
The identification of gene NEK1 means scientists can now develop a gene therapy treating it.
NEK1基因的發現意味著科學家們從此可以開發治療該病癥的基因療法.
Although only 10% of ALS patients have the inherited form, researchers believe that genetics contribute to a much larger percentage of cases.
盡管只有10%的漸凍癥患者攜帶該遺傳基因,研究者們認為有更高比例的病例與遺傳相關.
Social media was awash with videos of people pouring cold water over their heads to raise money for ALS in the summer of 2014.
