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
‘Rape gene’? Law and Order SVU episode muddies genetic literacy waters
A popular television show delivers a questionable message on genetic determinism and the the issue of why some men resort ...
Epigenetics Around the Web: No, Dr. Sarah Gottfried, we can’t control genes with lifestyle tweaks, and more
This week’s features: An MD is pushing pseudoscience to sell her new book and a word of caution about epigenetics ...
Born killer or normal mind? Genes, brain scans and mental health
What's a normal mind? Do brain scans provide any insight? The answer is stranger than you think ...
4 human genetics organizations that put ideology ahead of science
There are legitimate concerns about the rapid pace of genetics research. But some of the most well known groups seen ...
Diabetes: Origins and treatments undergoing revolutionary rethink?
New research suggests that type 1 diabetes might not be directly autoimmune in origin, and that tracking blood glucose might not ...
Epigenetics Around the Web: Avoid Craigslist for epigenetics advice; Engineering superhumans
Futurism's claims about the potential of epigenetics to create superhumans are about as scientific as a superhero comic book...and other ...
Fatty acids: How do all those omegas affect your health?
Omega 7 fatty acids are suddenly the rage in health circles. They are found in macadamia nuts, certain meats and ...
2 young leukemia patients cured with T-cell immunotherapy using genetically engineered donor cells
Gene-edited immune cells cure two British babies with childhood leukemia. But instead of patient-specific cells, doctors used cheaper universal cells ...
Privacy perils: Impact of legislation that would strip genetic secrecy protections in US
Employers could force workers to divulge private genetic information under Republican-sponsored legislation making its way through Congress. It could have ...
Beta Israel reconsidered: Defending the Israelite ancestry of Ethiopian Jews
Ethiopian Jews are often portrayed in modern media and in some academic texts as having no true ancient ancestral connection ...
Epigenetics Around the Web: Spinach, turnips likely won’t protect you from air pollution, and more
This week’s features: BBC's poor decision to cover study claiming vitamin B protects against air pollution and experts join ELP ...
French men getting less sexy? As sperm counts slide, activists point to pesticides, scientists to vegetables
Studies have found vegetarians have lower sperm count and that French men in the 1980s had higher sperm counts than ...
Glyphosate: Dangerous chemical or anti-GMO bogeyman?
Glyphosate has drawn scrutiny and criticism like no other chemical in agriculture since the controversy over DDT. But years of ...
Casting a wider net: Expanded carrier screening recommended for cystic fibrosis, other genetic diseases
All prospective parents should have carrier screening for a range of genetic disorders, according to new recommendations by the American ...
Too much knowledge? Should you sequence your baby’s genome?
Is there such a thing as having too much information about the health of your newborn? With the cost of ...
Psychotherapy revival: Can “talk” therapy change our brains and genes?
"Talk therapy" has fallen out of fashion as being more art than science. But new research suggests that psychotherapy may ...
Quest for a cure: Gene therapy offers hope for children with rare form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
A couple strives to help their daughter, who was born with a rare form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth, a muscle-wasting disease that ...
Epigenetics Around the Web: Oprah Magazine fumbles ‘inherited trauma’ story, and more
This week’s features: Writer for Oprah Magazine falls for classic epigenetics pitfalls; life insurance company is using methylation data to ...
DNA forensics is not an infallible tool — but not because of science
DNA has revolutionized how crimes are solved. But blunders by investigators have thrown a cloud over the use of genetic ...
Weird world of DNA: What’s the best way to help patients with genetic diseases that are not inherited?
The stories of two children, Millie and Hannah, highlight ways that genetic disease can seem to veer from the predictions ...
Epigenetics Around the Web: Dolly the sheep and aging. Epigenetics is not genetics. Obstacles to gene editing.
This week’s features include: a clinic that doesn't know the difference between epigenetics and genetics; lessons about aging from Dolly ...
Avoiding the unexpected: Zika, malaria-fighting gene drive in mosquitoes has built-in safety net
Concerns about CRISPR gene drives and other CRISPR applications have to do with the possibility that something could go wrong ...
Fighting cancer by shifting the body’s immune system into overdrive
Gene-targeted treatments and immunotherapy offer great promise to cure cancer, but they work in less than half of patients and ...
‘Brain fingerprints’: Will semantic memory identification replace fingerprints and passwords?
Semantic memory identification is an emerging ID technology based on the patterns of electrical signals that your brain puts out ...
Epigenetics Around the Web: Engineering better humans? Fearmongering in Canada? Fake autism treatments?
Epigenetics Around the Web is a weekly roundup of studies and news in the field of epigenetics presented by GLP ...
Proceed with caution: National Academies offers ‘qualified support’ for gene editing ‘abnormal’ embryos
The door to gene-edited humans was opened a crack by a joint National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of ...
Enhancing humans: Becoming a cyborg could end up as a privilege of the wealthy
Within the next 200 years, humans will have become so merged with technology that we’ll have evolved into “God-like cyborgs” ...
