Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Music: Poland turns down request to carry out DNA test on Chopin's heart

AFP reports that Poland has rejected a request to carry out a DNA test on the heart of Frederic Chopin to determine whether the 19th century composer suffered from cystic fibrosis, a culture ministry spokesman said yesterday.

“Currently there is no justification, or legal possibility to carry out such tests,” spokesman Piotr Szymanski told AFP.

The Polish-French pianist and composer died at the age of 39, of what is believed to be tuberculosis.

But believing his symptoms were more typical of cystic fibrosis, Polish medical experts requested permission to run DNA tests on his heart - preserved in alcohol - aimed at isolating the CFTR gene marking the disease.

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