Medscape: Development mutations may be present in only one of monozygotic twins
UC geneticist calls new study on identical twins 'unique and groundbreaking'
Identical twins are thought to possess the same set of genes, but a new research study has found that mutations may be present at birth in one twin, but not the other. The findings have important research implications because differences between identical twins were assumed by researchers to be the result of environmental and not genetic factors.
Reuters Health reporter Marilynn Larkin spoke via email with Anil Menon, PhD, professor of molecular genetics, biochemistry and microbiology at the UC College of Medicine, and other researchers about the new study’s findings. Menon called the study ‘unique and groundbreaking.’
"The gold standard for making estimates of environmental versus genetic contributions to variance in a trait has been the comparison of data from cohorts of monozygotic twins ('identical') with cohorts of dizygotic twins ('non-identical'). Statistical analysis is then used to estimate the genetic contribution to variance in the trait (heritability)," he told Reuters Health by email.
"The novelty of this study is the demonstration that monozygotic twins themselves have a certain intrinsic variability in their genomes, and therefore previous studies using comparison of monozygotic and dizygotic twins might actually be underestimating the contribution of genetics in variation of the trait being studied," Menon told Reuters Health.
Read the entire story in Medscape online.
Learn more about Anil Menon, PhD online.
Featured image at top: Anil Menon, PhD, in the UC College of Medicine. Photo/Colleen Kelley/UC Creative + Brand
Related Stories
Sugar overload killing hearts
November 10, 2025
Two in five people will be told they have diabetes during their lifetime. And people who have diabetes are twice as likely to develop heart disease. One of the deadliest dangers? Diabetic cardiomyopathy. But groundbreaking University of Cincinnati research hopes to stop and even reverse the damage before it’s too late.
Is going nuclear the solution to Ohio’s energy costs?
November 10, 2025
The Ohio Capital Journal recently reported that as energy prices continue to climb, economists are weighing the benefits of going nuclear to curb costs. The publication dove into a Scioto Analysis survey of 18 economists to weigh the pros and cons of nuclear energy. One economist featured was Iryna Topolyan, PhD, professor of economics at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business.
App turns smartwatch into detector of structural heart disease
November 10, 2025
An app that uses an AI model to read a single-lead ECG from a smartwatch can detect structural heart disease, researchers reported at the 2025 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association. Although the technology requires further validation, researchers said it could help improve the identification of patients with heart failure, valvular conditions and left ventricular hypertrophy before they become symptomatic, which could improve the prognosis for people with these conditions.