Facial Recognition Software Will Help Identify Rare Genetic Disease In Africans, Asians And Latin Americans

A team from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) has developed a facial recognition technique, which could help identify a rare genetic condition, DiGeorge syndrome affecting Africans, Asians and Latin Americans. "Human malformation syndromes appear different in different parts of the world Even experienced clinicians have difficulty diagnosing genetic syndromes in non-European populations," Paul Kruszka, a medical geneticist in NHGRI's Medical Genetics Branch said in the press release. Read: Facial Recognition Should Be Used To Track Undocumented Immigrants, Rep. Chaffetz Says The DiGeorge disease is a gene (22q11.2) deletion syndrome, also called the velocardiofacial syndrome, which causes multiple defects in the body such as cleft palate, heart defects and learning problems. It is difficult to diagnose in diverse populations, especially with people of mixed race origin. The NHGRI study published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics Thursday cites its goal as helping diagnose the disease to enable early-stage medical intervention.