Medical experts from the skin disease research institute of Anhui Medical University for the first time cloned gene of familial trichoepithelioma.

Familial trichoepithelioma is a kind of common benign skin tumor that first occurs in childhood and adolescence. For most times it occurs on the face, and a few cases would develop into to malignant tumor or other malignant facial tumors. In its early stage, it displays very similar symptoms with other malignant skin tumors, so patients are quiet likely to miss the best time for treatment.

There is no effective treatment method found by now because gene causing this hereditary disease has not been found, said Professor Zhang Xuejun from the institute. Under the support of state fund experts joined with researchers of the Human Genome Program, and successfully cloned the gene causing trichoepithelioma by locating gene of frequently-occurring trichoepithelioma on Chinese people of Han nationality.

Discovery of the gene causing trichoepithelioma serves to shorten the time for checking the disease, and diagnose can be made after collecting and analyzing a few drops of blood. From a long-term view, this also laid foundation for studying the nature of the disease and finally finding a treatment.

(People's Daily April 9, 2004)