Posted by Joe Stone (199.174.225.83) on January 03, 2000 at 19:16:26:
One of the reasons I am so intrigued by this heredity possibility is because of the human genome project. For those of you who aren't familiar with the project, there is a worldwide effort going on to map the human genetic code. Researchers have actually mapped an entire human chromosone, I believe it's number 22 and hope to have the rest mapped in the next few years. This is definitely the most exciting medical research that has taken place in some time. Some of the disease on #22 include forms of heart disease and possibly schizophrenia. What this means is that a whole new approach to treating these genetic diseases will become possible. For example, recently a bypass was done on a man who for reasons unknown to me couldn't go the normal route. A gene that makes arteries form was inserted into the man's heart and new arteries actually grew. Anyone else that has heard of this please correct my mistakes. So if clusters do have a genetic root of some sort, radically new treatments may be available. This technology is probably not that far off. Who knows but it is facsinating science!