Published on 27 Aug 2025
Columbia University research reveals why some individuals with disease-causing genes remain symptom-free.
Every cell in the body (except sperm and eggs) contains two copies of each gene, one inherited from each parent, and that both copies contribute equally to cellular function.
However, this new study reveals that certain cells can exhibit a bias, selectively inactivating one parent’s copy of a gene.
By studying specific immune cells in typical individuals, the researchers found that these cells inactivated either the maternal or paternal gene copy in approximately 1 out of every 20 genes the cells use.
This explains why people with the same genetic mutation can have different symptom severities.
Selective Silencing
Genetic diseases
inheritance
mutation
Biotechnology
gene editing