A genetic defect that causes a severe immune deficiency in humans may also produce balance disorders, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Iowa, The Jackson Laboratory and East Carolina University. The study, published online Feb. 21 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, examined a specialized strain of Jackson Laboratory mice with a mutation that eliminates the production a protein called p22phox. Disruption of this protein causes a form of chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) -- a severe immune deficiency -- in humans.
