Obituaries : John Wasmuth; Discovered Genes That Cause Defects
John J. Wasmuth, a UC Irvine biochemist who helped discover the genes that cause dwarfism and other diseases, has died at age 49.
Wasmuth died Friday, university officials announced this week. They said his family requested that the cause of his death be withheld.
Wasmuth, one of the world’s most prominent genetic researchers, worked for more than a decade to discover genetic defects and the tests to diagnose them.
“His work has brought new insight and hope to those suffering from debilitating inherited diseases,” said Dr. Thomas Cesario, dean of UC Irvine’s College of Medicine.
In 1994, Wasmuth’s laboratory played a major role in identifying the gene and mutations that cause achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism.
Ralph Bradshaw, former chairman of the department of biological chemistry, said the breakthrough had broad applications, perhaps leading to a better understanding of how normal cells become cancer cells.
“The gene he identified and studied is important not only because of dwarfism but also in understanding [what happens] when genes of a similar type become involved in cancer,” Bradshaw said.
In October 1994 he told The Times that he worried about the potential for misuse in the discoveries made by him and other genetics researchers.
“Once you find the mutation that causes the genetic disorder, and you put the information out there, people can use it any way they want, and I guess that’s what bothers me.
“We haven’t been very good at long-range planning, have we? We had no idea of the implications of splitting the atom. Now we can have the information that would allow us to substitute our personal selection for natural selection. . . . We may be really changing the evolution of the entire species in some way we don’t understand.”
Last year, Wasmuth led a team of molecular biologists in identifying the genetic abnormality that causes spinal muscular atrophy, making possible a prenatal genetic screening for couples with a history of the disease.
Wasmuth also was part of an international effort that in 1993 discovered the genetic defect that causes Huntington’s disease. That disease causes the nervous system to waste away, destroying motor control, personality and sanity.
After that discovery, a branch of the National Institutes of Health named his laboratory a national research center and awarded it a three-year, $3.7-million grant.
Wasmuth was born in Greenville, Ill., to a grocer and registered nurse. He was the first in his family to earn a college degree.
He joined UC Irvine in 1977, and he and his wife, Judy, lived in a house overlooking Lake Mission Viejo.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by a daughter and a grandson.
The family has requested that any memorial contributions be made to the UC Irvine Foundation John Wasmuth Memorial Fund.
