Prader-Willi Syndrome <Tab/>Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genetic disorder that causes low muscle tone (floppiness), short stature, cognitive disabilities (mental retardation), behavioral problems, and chronic hunger that can lead to over-eating and life threatening obesity. The disorder is usually caused by an error during sperm and egg formation, not passed on from parent to child like most genetic diseases. This makes the disease nearly impossible to detect in the parents (…showed first 75 words of 848 total…

…showed last 75 words of 848 total…analyzing the DNA of the 5% minority of people that have the imprinting center malfunction. They hope that their findings will reveal which genes are the ones directly tied to the disorder. Other studies are being done within the United States focusing on deletion of chromosome 15, and exactly what role it plays in over-eating. More is being discovered every day about this mysterious disease and how it can be better treated. <Tab/>