Biomedicine & Disease
RNAi technology promising in developing gluten-free wheat
Genetic modification of wheat genes to 'silence' protein fractions toxic to those with celiac disease holds promise for cereal development, ...
Video: Inside Vermont’s GMO labeling controversy
Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin is expected to sign a bill on Thursday mandating the labeling of genetically modified foods. That ...
Further evidence stem cells injected into heart don’t grow new cardiac muscle
C-kit cells, which are found in the heart and supposedly act as cardiac stem cells, are the basis of a ...
Genes guide brain’s response to stress
It is probably cliché at this point to mention that the world seems to be getting crazier/faster/more stressful. Stress can ...
Atomic mechanism for how DNA-protective telomerase is made may be target for aging therapies
Researchers have taken an atomic level look at the enzyme telomerase - and what they have found may unlock the ...
Environment, genes equally at play in autism
Environmental factors are more important than previously thought in leading to autism, as big a factor as genes, according to ...
Pace of biomedical research not sustainable without funding changes
In the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), four distinguished scientists make an urgent ...
Leukemia type can be detected by the shape of DNA’s packaging in nucleus
When someone has leukaemia, differences in how their genome is folded up into the nucleus of their cells can reveal ...
Genetic and maternal factors play larger role in neonatal brain injuries, long blamed on lack of oxygen during birth
It was long assumed that brain injuries in newborns resulted from insufficient oxygen during labor or delivery. Distressed parents often ...
Antibiotic resistance biggest issue in developing world because of lack of regulation
By most standards, the increasing availability of life-saving antibiotics in the developing world is a good thing. But, around the ...
Genetic sequencing offers promise of individualized medicine, but at what cost?
Whole genome sequencing has officially entered the medical mainstream and kicked off an era of truly personalized medicine. California-based Illumina ...
African farmers need to be involved in biotechnology debate
African agricultural biotechnology experts say involving farmers in the biotechnology debate will encourage them to make informed choices and give ...
Breeding heat-resistant livestock for a post-warming world: A worthy endeavor?
Evan Halper at the LA Times chronicles efforts to breed livestock that can endure a warming world ... but should ...
Genetics make some people more vulnerable to repetitive brain injury
Scientists studying head injuries have found something surprising: Genes may make some people more susceptible to concussion and trauma than ...
Ancient, inert parts of our genomes may be protective
At hundreds of spots in our DNA, there are ancient swaths that have remained puzzlingly unchanged over hundreds of millions ...
Mass General pediatrics chief says glyphosate, used with some GM crops, no danger in breast milk
Contributor Dr. Ron Kleinman, physician in chief from MassGeneral Hospital for Children, opines on the safety of Glyphosate in human ...
Genetically modified pig lungs or lab-grown lungs: Which is the future of our organ supply?
Biotech pioneer J. Craig Venter has aligned his company with efforts to create genetically modified lungs in pigs for human ...
Procrastination? Impulsivity? Either way, is it in your genes?
Classic twin-study method used to try and explain procrastination and it's heritability. But what is procrastination? Is it impulsivity? Either ...
Stem cells can cure severe heart disease? Study suggests early reports may be oversold
A slew of positive reports showing that stem cells could be used to address severe heart disease are in question ...
Los Angeles Times editorial: California GMO labeling bill promotes “scare campaign”
The scientific evidence on genetically engineered food, which has been around for two decades, indicates that it is as safe ...
Plant geneticist Paul Gepts says polarized GM discussion endangers innovation
Whether you call them transgenic, genetically engineered or GMO crops, the fever-pitched debate about Monsanto misses the bigger picture by ...
Teeth of the very old may provide more easily accessible stem cells than blood
Normally, I wouldn’t post about a report that’s already reverberated through the blogosphere, but the finding of hundreds of mutations ...
Protein in young blood fights aging
A protein in blood can repair age-related damage in the brains and muscles of old mice, returning them to a ...
Geography trumps genes in determining lifespan
Living in the Southeast is bad for your health. There is a huge range in the death rates across American ...
Sleeping sickness treatment in focus after sequencing of tsetse fly genome
Scientists have sequenced the tsetse fly's genome, Jennifer Frazer at National Geographic reports, revealing promising targets in the fight against ...
New job for IBM’s Watson: analyze cancer genetics to match patients with best available drugs
For years, the war on cancer has been about attacking specific body parts—developing treatment and funding research around lung cancer, ...
CRISPR gene editing commercialization divides former colleagues
The money men have moved in on a new technique for editing the human genome that promises to revolutionise the ...
