Research teams from The John Ritter Research Program in Aortic and Vascular Diseases at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and Paris, France have discovered a gene defect linked to a cluster of systemic complications, including life-threatening thoracic aortic disease and intracranial aneurysms. The new syndrome is similar, but distinct from known syndromes such as Marfan and Loeys-Dietz syndrome.  Read more here:  http://www.johnritterresearchprogram.org/2012/07/john-ritter-research-program-french-researchers-discover-gene-defect-syndrome-systemic-complications-include-life-threatening-thoracic-aortic-disease/