Human Genetics Features
The GLP tackles innovations in human genetics and biotechnology. We highlight the work of our own writers, as well as that of contributors from around the Web. The GLP does not take a position on genetics-related issues; any opinions expressed belong to the authors.
Categories include:
- CRISPR and gene editing
- Gene therapy
- Stem cell research
- Genetic diseases
- Synthetic biology
- Epigenetics
- Biodrugs (pharmacogenetics)
- Personal genomics
- Ancestry and evolution
- Ethics and regulations
While UK embraces life-saving germline editing, US mired in debate as promising life-saving cases go untreated
Thousands of women with mitochondria disease have no hope of having children without genetic editing or assisted reproduction techniques. Critics ...
Are imperfect, ‘leaky’ vaccines resulting in emergence of nastier viruses?
Some in medicine argue that 'imperfect' vaccines that do not eliminate all viruses from the host may lead to the ...
Is there a genetic switch that causes ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease)?
We don't know the causes of ALS in most patients, but about 10 percent of cases are thought to be ...
Kuwaiti citizens: Register your genes…or else
In the wake of a suicide bombing, Kuwait became the first country to order mandatory DNA testing of all citizens ...
What you need to know about surrogacy
Surrogacy is a complex and often controversial practice. Here's a primer on the advantages and disadvantages of surrogacy options ...
New wave of HIV vaccines: Promises that can be fulfilled or more pipe dreams?
A cure for AIDS has remained elusive despite occasional if brief bursts of research optimism. We again are witnessing a ...
Star Trek, synbio and sustainable food: Will Friends of the Earth and other activists block the future?
Far as we are from instantaneous synthesis of food on command, advances in synbio and genetic engineering offer a glimpse ...
A rabbi and an alien walk into a bar: What happens when religious leaders meet extraterrestrials?
The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) presents a challenge for the major religions, who might find themselves threatened if alien ...
Water: California drought yet water bottles everywhere
Humanity's future depends on how we manage our interactions with water. This takes the form of how we package it, ...
Neuroscience of free will: Does reaching for beer with robotic arm mean free will doesn’t exist?
If we can predict a person’s intentions by picking up brain signals then how 'free' is our will and are ...
Science explainer: We may not resurrect dinosaurs but other extinct animals likely to be revived
De-extinction is moving closer to reality--maybe not Jurassic World real, but a number of more recent animals may soon be ...
Don’t stop drinking orange juice: Citrus-cancer link overblown
Reporting on a study linking consuming grapefruit and orange juice to melanoma shows how the press can blow new research ...
Can aging be treated with drugs?
Geneticists have found several genes that seem to affect longevity. Are we on the verge of finding "treatments" for aging? ...
Artificial DNA acts just like the real thing. Does that mean we should we make it?
We know we can create 'artificial DNA'. The real questions are: Should we? and To What end? Should there be ...
Epigenetic ‘eraser’ can reset behavior, disease vulnerability and life experiences
Many epigenetic changes that occur in humans in genetic response to the environment are erased within the embryo. Certain diseases, ...
Brain confusion: Why it’s so difficult to find cures for mental disorders
Many mental illnesses still defy treatment. The problem may be that we do not "know" how the brain functions very ...
Precision medicine inches along
More than a decade ago, we sequenced the human genome with hope that disease cures might soon follow. Finding treatment ...
Do you think you have NCGS–gluten sensitivity? Proceed with caution in age of mail order genetic tests
We're in the 23andMe age. People take various genetic tests, but, they're often interpreting vague and out of clinical context ...
Global scientists assess homeopathy-funded Séralini study claiming all GMO tests ‘contaminated’
Scientists from North American and Europe weigh on on the latest Séralini study, published after a two week delay after ...
Chimera alert? Myths and facts of human-non-human animal hybrids in medicine
Science is making leaps and bounds creating part human and part non-human animal tissues and organs. The applications are medical, ...
Teen boy checklist: Graduate high school, freeze sperm, go to college
A UK bioethicist urges young men to freeze sperm so their kids won’t run a higher risk of inheriting genetic ...
Epic FBI DNA database may reveal private health information
Database behind nearly all DNA-based forensic investigations may also have our health information. Or not. Should we be concerned? ...
Headlines tout Jurassic World in offing but scientists, journalists separate fact from fiction
A real-life "Jurassic World" with genetically engineered dinosaurs is an enthralling or frightening scenario — depending upon your perspective — ...
Will genetic cyber-athletes come to dominate sports?
The era of the über-athlete may be nearer than most people think, and it will spark fierce ethical debates. The ...
Mitochondrial medicine: Pushing the limits of resuscitation
Mitochondria are the power plants of the cell. Along with understanding the role of mitochondria in causing damage to the ...
Preventing brain disease by eating brains? Science doesn’t support sensationalized reporting
Is there a genetic cure for dementia? Recent news reports of a mutation that can protect against a deadly form ...
Evidence mounts of ancient Jewish roots of Beta Israel Ethiopian Jewry
Many historians are convinced that Ethiopian Jews are medieval converts from Christianity. But mounting genetic evidence, and new scholarly research, ...
