A team of US researchers has emerged with a genetic mutation, which they have linked with the development of brain tumor. Individuals carrying the mutation are at a six times higher risk of being diagnosed with brain tumor.

Researchers suggest that individuals carrying the variant are subjected to be having purine derivative nucleobase guanine (G), which in normal cases should have been nucleobase adenine (A).

A minute change in the genetic sequence has aroused the risk of developing certain types of glioma brain tumors. These tumors although grow at a slower rate, are deadly.

Out of the total people diagnosed with brain tumors, 20% are stated to be suffering from the mentioned brain tumor type.

Professor Margaret Wrensch, one of the scientists from the University of California at San Francisco, said: "Understanding how this variant causes people to get these less aggressive, but still lethal, tumors will be extremely important. It might lead to methods to reverse its course or restrain their formation".

This discovery has been published today in the journal Nature Genetics. It is being expected that the discovery would be used in a constructive way for development of new screening tests and treatments for the condition.