A striking discovery in medical genetics is that some apparently disparate diseases may have similar underlying genetic dysfunctions. Take for example, familial dysautonomia (FD), described in Slaugenhaupt et al. (2001): The loss of neuronal function in FD has many repercussions, with patients displaying gastrointestinal dysfunction, abnormal respiratory responses to hypoxic and hypercarbic states, scoliosis, gastroesophageal [Read More →]