Influential Moments in AT Research: Timeline

Influential Moments in AT Research: Timeline

Important Dates

1926-Discovery of Disease
1988-AT locus mapped
1995-Cloning and identification of ATM gene
2004-Role of ATM described
2005-ATM gene linked to cancer prevention
2007-ATM activation described

Most Important Contribution (in my opinion)

     In my opinion, the most important discovery in the journey to find a cure for AT, is the discovery of the ATM gene.  I feel this because without the ATM gene, scientists would be lost.  Before the ATM gene was discovered, scientists were looking in a very broad area in regards to figuring out the cause of the disease and consequently were not making much progress.  What the discovery of the ATM gene did was help to narrow down the search substantially.  This in turn has greatly increased the rate of progress towards finding a cure and consequently, without this discovery we would most likely know a fraction of what we know about the disease today.  This could be a discovery that someday perhaps will save lives.  On another note, this discovery also holds great importance to the fight against cancer as well.  Since the ATM gene is considered a gene that helps protect against cancer (limits rate of cell division and helps repair damage to DNA) finding a solution to reactivating the ATM could prove beneficial to the treatment of both diseases.  One solution could be the cure to both diseases (the preverbal killing of two birds with one stone).  For these reasons, I strongly believe that the discovery of the ATM gene in 1995 is of the highest importance.