Medical/Science Reporters and Editors:

In a study reported online today in the journal Human Genetics, University of Utah researchers have published the first major confirmation of the presence of a prostate cancer predisposition gene on the X chromosome. The original discovery of the gene was reported by Johns Hopkins researchers in 1998, but had not been confirmed in a major study until now. To confirm the predisposition gene, the U of U researchers examined 143 Utah pedigrees with increased incidence of prostate cancer. In addition to validating the HPCX prostate cancer predisposition gene region, these findings validate the use of extended high risk pedigrees for isolating predisposition genes involved in complex diseases, according to the U researchers.