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
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, ...
Marijuana and epigenetics: Are we moving too quickly with legalization?
Some research suggests there could be health implications related to a surge in legalized marijuana use in the US. One ...
Quest to colonize space demands boost from biotechnology, synthetic biology
The lack of technology for such sustainable life support systems is a major factor underlying criticism of human space exploration ...
From horses to mice, animal inbreeding has shaped human existence
Humans have been breeding animals together, a new natural selection, since the beginning of time. However, inbreeding can have drastically ...
Preventing preterm birth: Preemie genes identified
A global team of researchers has zeroed in on genes that affect the length of pregnancy and may foretell elevated ...
Are sperm counts declining? What’s the role of ‘endocrine disruptors’?
The science community is divided over whether reports of declining sperm counts in men is actually occurring. One explanation--exposure to ...
Genetic testing lags for mental illness, forcing parents to seek answers online
Genetic counseling for potential mental illness in children should be just as responsive as counseling for "physical" disease. Right now, ...
How to argue evolution with creationists
Creationists and scientists have separate definitions for the word "theory." Getting caught up in arguments about the word's meaning is ...
