Human gene identified for tolerance to an environmental hazard
[PRESS RELEASE 3/4/2015] Studies conducted at the Karolinska Institutet and Uppsala University in Sweden show that some indigenous groups in the Andes of northern Argentina have increased resistance to arsenic. The researchers also identified the gene that underlies the altered metabolism and protects against exposure to arsenic. This study is the first to show that some humans have genetically adapted to a polluted environment.Arsenic occurs naturally in the bedrock in many places in the world and is one of the most potent carcinogens in our environment. People are exposed mainly through