Health & Medicine
Through the study and use of genetics, we can identify measures that could lead to the improvement of human health and wellness. These methods and procedures aim to prevent years of chronic disease and thousands of dollars in health care costs, and provide families and communities with knowledge of how to live healthier.
Below is the complete archive of related articles sorted by date.
Hidden code regulates harmful mutations of our genome, aiding evolution
On the one hand, mutations are needed for biological innovation, and on the other hand they cause diseases. How does ...
Moderate drinking improves heart health? Genes say ‘not so fast’
While research has shown that drinking alcohol in moderation may help lower the risk of congenital heart defects, other data ...
Top 5 ‘post-truth’ anti-GMO headlines: Biologist critiques outrageous 2016 claims
A reproductive biologist offers her take on the five most outrageous--but astronomically popular--anti-GMO advocacy blog headlines from last year, including ...
BRCA gene mutation linked to breast cancer has no impact on survival rates for women under 41
While mutations of the BRCA gene can increase a woman’s chances of developing breast and ovarian cancers, the presence of ...
Malfunctioning part of ‘ADHD gene’ identified, clearing way for specialized medications
ADHD is highly genetic, and [the ADGRL3 gene] in particular has long been implicated it its development...Now, a new study ...
Fruit fly study finds eating too much sugar alters gene expression, shortens life span. Human implications?
[According to new research into fruit flies, a] high-sugar diet actually reprogrammed how genes function — genes that are closely ...
Autism risk may be related to genes that influence sex-specific traits
Genetic variants that shape physical features that vary with sex, such as waist-to-hip ratio, may also affect autism risk, according ...
Genetic defect may render local anesthesia useless for some patients
Local anesthetic resistance is a rare condition that's so poorly researched that many medical professionals refuse to acknowledge that it's ...
Computer scientist Stephanie Seneff proposes questionable theory linking glyphosate to autism
[Editor's note: Stephanie Seneff, co-author of this paper, is a controversial MIT computer scientist and anti-GMO critic who has advanced ...
Could CRISPR, gene editing radically affect human evolution?
CRISPR-Cas9, the new gene modification tool, which has been heralded as a means for inserting ourselves into evolution, is itself ...
Quest for diverse disease treatments leads to our guts
Many are now looking at a symbiotic relationship between the gut microbiome and the immune system, mediated by factors such ...
‘Living bandage’ may revolutionize repair of difficult knee injuries
Anthony Hollander, the head of the Institute of Integrative Biology at the University of Liverpool...and his team have finally completed ...
Sequencing pioneer sets sights on $100 genome
Next-gen sequencing pioneer Illumina says it may soon usher in the era of the $100 genome — which could, in ...
Cancer thrives by outwitting cell’s normal self-destruct mechanism
Healthy cells are programmed to self-destruct if there are mistakes in their genes that can't be fixed, but cancer cells ...
Biotech industry’s nutrition-related GM crops falling short of hopes
Editor’s Note: This blog by geneticist Anastasia Bodnar evaluates whether the biotechnology industry's nutrition-related claims about GM crops are true ...
Alzheimer’s linked gene may protect brain from parasites
People who carry one copy [of the ApoE4 gene] have a three-fold higher risk of Alzheimer’s than those with none...Even if ...
Premature babies show signs of abnormal brain activity before birth
Even before they are born, premature babies may display alterations in the circuitry of their developing brains, according to a ...
Nestlé moves towards high tech, genetically tailored nutrition
The modern food movement has brought us to a fork in the road. On one path are people who say ...
Rare gene mutation more dangerous to the heart than previously thought
Around 1% of the population carries a genetic mutation which can have a strong impact on their heart health. It ...
The future is here: 3 ways technology can improve sustainability
Generating energy and using more land for crops increases atmospheric greenhouse gas levels. So does livestock farming. But there are ...
Why design babies when we can sift through ideal embryos instead?
Brave New World has become the inevitable reference point for all media discussion of new advances in reproductive technology...But the ...
GMO Bt corn contains fewer disease-causing mycotoxins than conventional corn
Editor's Note: This blog by geneticist Anastasia Bodnar evaluate whether claims made by the biotechnology industry that GM foods are free ...
Evolution erasing our Neanderthal genes, rooting out harmful variants
Although the Neanderthals went extinct 30,000 years ago, their genes live on in human beings. A new study at the ...
Aggressive brain tumors temporarily halted using genetically modified immune cells
One of the most deadly types of cancers are glioblastomas – a particularly aggressive form of brain tumor. Patients diagnosed ...
Stomachs grown from stem cells could yield secrets of digestion
Stomach-related diseases are common, affecting millions of people. An estimated 25 percent of individuals in the United States are affected ...
Risk of kidney failure could be predicted by DNA coding
Counting the number of times a string of letters appears in the genome could bring us closer to predicting kidney ...
Eggs in IVF treatments need both nature and nurture
Nurture is as important as nature when it comes to IVF, scientists have found, after showing that the chemical 'soup' ...
