Gene knockouts in people provide drug safety, effectiveness clues

Study in Pakistanis provides data on function-destroying mutations

Pakistan map

DNA INVESTIGATION  Geneticists examined DNA from more than 10,000 people in Pakistan looking for people in whom both copies of certain genes were nonfunctional. High rates of marriage between closely related people there make it more likely that people will inherit two nonfunctional gene copies.

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Some Pakistani people are real knockouts, a new DNA study finds.