Human 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
Time to stop treating men and women the same when it comes to drug treatments
Studies have shown that males and females metabolize drugs differently, suggesting we should be spending more time studying those differences ...
If you lose any of these 7 organs, you’ll probably be OK
The human body has dozens of organs, with some clearly more critical than others. But there are several you can ...
When does life begin? Here are 17 points in time to consider
The US Department of Health and Human Services has taken the official position that life begins at conception. Here's a ...
Born to exercise? ‘Fitness’ genes may help lower breast cancer risk
A growing number of studies show that exercise offers protection against breast cancer. Research on mice suggests that some of ...
Searching for ET in our Solar System requires methodical approach
The quest to find life in our Solar System is focused on locating planets or moons with the right chemical ...
Cancers and other rare diseases in crosshairs of researchers using breakthrough DNA sequencing
The improvements and discoveries in DNA sequencing in recent years has had immediate clinical consequences, including the real possibility of ...
How do you know if your mutation will lead to a genetic disease?
Sonia Vallabh, a scientist, carries a rare mutation that normally causes a neurodegenerative disease. How likely is it she will ...
Humans are still evolving–the evidence is in how we age and who survives
Although human evolution is seen as in the distant past, every minute biological decision results in ongoing human natural selection ...
Predicting Alzheimer’s: 31-gene test may offer strongest risk assessment
The APOE4 e4 gene has long been associated with an elevated risk for alzheimer's. But a new test panel involving ...
University student reflection: Let’s take a balanced ethical and scientific look at genetic engineering
Rapid advancements in the realm of gene editing are raising all sorts of questions with social and ethical implications. But ...
What do we know about wine as a magic elixir?
Is wine good or bad for you? Much of the attention surrounding the drink has focused on the compound resveratrol, ...
Is ‘dark DNA’ lurking as ‘missing’ mystery force in animal evolution?
In some animals, stretches of essential DNA seem to be missing. However, this "dark DNA" is not really missing, it's ...
Male fertility likely declining, but we haven’t figured out why
Studies tell us that difficult-to-measure male fertility has dipped in recent decades. But with many unknowns, we need to resist ...
Tick tock, circadian clock research wins Nobel Prize—and why it may help us sleep and travel to Mars
Our clock system is in organisms across the planet. Better understanding of our internal body rhythms may help pave the ...
Treating aggressive brain cancer with poliovirus
The idea of using a modified poliovirus as a treatment for glioblastoma brain cancer isn't new. But recent research shows ...
Insomnia cures: Do drug remedies provide the kind of sleep that our brain needs?
People spend billions on sleep remedies. The act of sleep and artificially assisting sleep are not on the whole a ...
Postpartum depression: It impacts dads, too
Postpartum depression affects fathers, too. Men experience lower testosterone levels throughout pregnancy and paternal care, increasing the chance of depression ...
Using Zika in the fight against deadly brain cancer
With traditional cancer-fighting tools--surgery, radiation and chemotherapy--proving ineffective against glioblastoma tumors, researchers are exploring an unconventional treatment using a weakened ...
Upchuck factor: Alcoholism targeted with novel gene therapy
Researchers are exploring the use of a naturally occurring mutation that causes people to get sick after drinking alcohol. The ...
Alzheimer’s ‘brain health’ quiz likely to scare more than help
Critics question the integrity of a risk assessment sent to prospective patients by NorthShore University Health System's Center for Brain ...
Orthorexia nervosa: Do anti-GMO activists have this ‘eating disorder’?
Orthorexia nervosa is being evaluated as a possible psychiatric diagnosis -- which is causing symptoms of anxiety among some people ...
Transhumanism and inequality: Enhancing human life could bring dystopian consequences
Transhumanism may offer a pathway to an 'engineered paradise,' but there are many perils and pitfalls ahead -- particularly for ...
CRISPR opens window into early stages of human embryo development
Work in the UK involving CRISPR and human embryos illustrates the value of the gene editing technique in basic research ...
‘Designer babies’ just around the corner? More scare than science
As CRISPR technology advances, old fears about 'designer babies' resurface. But we are a long way from being able to ...
Genetics and obesity: Expanding waistlines can’t be blamed on poor lifestyle choices alone
The sources of obesity look more biological, and less psychological, which opens new avenues toward addressing the crisis. Finding answers ...
Will the public embrace CRISPR to ‘edit out’ birth defects as it has other reproductive technologies?
As CRISPR becomes more widespread, will the public accept gene-edited alterations in the same way we embraced in vitro fertilization? ...
Is brain hacking possible?
Accessing the human brain to enable functional connections with electronic technology may sound incredibly futuristic, but a handful of entrepreneurs, ...
