Personalized Medicine
Life is a genetic lottery — but that’s a far cry from saying our traits are determined or fixed
People are often uncomfortable or anxious about genetics. "They think genetics means our outcomes are determined and that it doesn't ...
Obesity and genetics: Researchers have found 14 genes that cause weight gain and three that help prevent it, opening door to new treatments
Obesity has become an epidemic, driven in large part by high-calorie diets laden with sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. Increasingly ...
3D scans of 5,000 points on the human face show links to genetic factors related to autism
In a new study, scientists are using high-tech 3D facial scans to understand the genetic causes of Autism better. Using ...
Genetic factors can identify which people with bipolar disorder and PTSD are at the greatest risk of suicide
People who suffer from bipolar disorder and are genetically predisposed to post traumatic stress disorder may have a higher risk ...
‘Sweeping genetic differences under the rug does not make inequality go away’: Genes found to significantly influence educational achievements
Kathryn Paige Harden argues how far we go in formal education – and the huge knock-on effects that has on ...
East African research finds key facial features are common across diverse populations
A new study published in PLOS Genetics compares genomic factors underlying facial features in East Africans and Europeans to reveal ...
Some people appear genetically immune to catching COVID — but scientists are still not sure why
[Molecular biology professor Mayana] Zatz’s work is part of a growing effort to identify factors that may make people resistant ...
Obesity, epilepsy, fatty liver and sleep disorders genetically linked to ADHD in adults
Obesity, epilepsy, alcohol-related liver disease, fatty liver, sleep disorders and COPD. These are some of the many diseases that Swedish ...
Feel refreshed on just 5 hours of rest per night? Some people are blessed with ‘short sleep’ genes
[Neurologists Chris Jones and Ying-Hui Fu] had been studying advanced sleep-phase syndrome, thought to be a rare type of "morning ...
Viewpoint: Can parents select for healthier children? A new tool for predicting polygenic traits kicks off a fierce debate
Motherhood is rewarding, but pregnancy is risky. Pregnant women usually steer clear of environmental risks that can harm the child ...
Centenarians have unique genetic characteristics. Here’s why studying them might help us solve the mystery of longevity
A recent perspective article on human longevity focuses on socioeconomic standards and health care. In our opinion the authors could ...
On average, women live 5 years longer than men. It’s mostly genetics
Around the world, women live longer, on average. So why do women tend to outlive men? Two of the main ...
Taboo: Why has Africa emerged as the global coronavirus ‘Cold Spot’ — and why are we afraid to talk about it?
The first COVID-19 case in Africa was confirmed on February 14th, 2020, in Egypt. The first in sub-Saharan Africa appeared ...
Genetic differences distinguish closely related northern Chinese, Korean and Japanese populations
Researchers at China’s top forensic academy in Beijing say they have found genetic differences between three ethnic groups in East ...
Viewpoint: What’s the future of individualized medicine when you factor in ‘racial’ and genetic differences?
COVID-19 has put race-based health disparities on full display, but such inequities extend far deeper than the current pandemic. An ...
Study: Quagmire surrounds the use and misuse of race in identifying and preventing health disparities
In the 18th and early 19th centuries, Carl Linnaeus and Johann Blumenbach used “race” to taxonomically classify human types. Linnaeus ...
Black women are six times more likely than White women to develop tumors that lead to breast cancer. Do genetically-based racial differences play a role?
Compared with white women, Black women are 40% more likely to die of the disease, and twice as likely if ...
Find coffee bitter? Taste-linked gene identified that could be protecting millions of people from getting COVID
People’s perception of taste (coffee tasting very bitter, slightly bitter or not bitter at all, for example) has been known ...
How genetic genealogy helped solve this 50-year old case of a teenage girl’s murder
Barry Lee Whelpley, 76, was arrested [June 2] at his home in Minnesota for the 1972 murder of Julie Ann ...
Viewpoint: Precision education? Genetic tests purporting to ascertain students’ educational capabilities under fire
Genetic tests claiming to predict people’s intellectual aptitudes or how much education they are likely to get are readily available ...
Viewpoint: ‘Magic promised by genetically pruning ‘defective’ embryos has fairy-dusted the eyes of even the most intelligent’ — Maybe it’s time to hit the pause button
Advances in genetics have been revolutionized in the last few years. First came CRISPR, which can edit single genes, possibly ...
Does DNA ‘determine’ our health? The way you live your life can significantly modulate the effects of our genetic endowment
The study of genetics has always been an attempt to understand our biologically determined fate. Many of us know of ...
Cappuccino or espresso? How genetics actively regulates the amount of coffee we regularly drink
Whether you hanker for a hard hit of caffeine or favor the frothiness of a milky cappuccino, your regular coffee ...
For decades, scientists struggled to find a treatment for one of the most common lung cancer mutations. Amgen has won US approval for the first drug targeting the KRAS variant
[A new] drug, called Lumakras, was approved [May 28] to treat a portion of lung cancer patients with a particular ...
Reviving cold cases: DNA Doe Project uses genetic genealogy to solve long-unsolved crimes
Genetic genealogy debuted more than 20 years ago as a pastime for ancestry enthusiasts. The customer sent a saliva sample ...
DNA test for couples? Start-up Orchid claims its over-the-counter kit can identify complex inherited disorders. Is it ready for prime time?
A new startup called Orchid is offering the chance for couples planning a pregnancy to learn their odds of passing ...
A clue to long-haul COVID symptoms: Coronavirus might change gene expression
Results from a new cell study suggest that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein can bring about long-term gene expression changes. The ...