Health
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.
One family’s story of misdiagnosis reveals harsh reality: DNA tests aren’t perfect
Personal genetic tests and precision medicine are becoming increasingly popular tools but caution is appropriate. The technology is still evolving ...
Motivation to exercise may depend on your genes
At one point or another, we've all wondered: What makes some of us gym rats and some of us couch ...
Modifying gene-delivering viruses decreases risk of cancer in gene therapy
Scientists have developed a new safer gene therapy that may reduce the risk of cancer and can be used for ...
Pituitary problems decrease production of oxytocin, reduces empathy
Oxytocin is a hormone...[that] has earned the nickname "the love hormone" because we secrete it when we form bonds with our ...
Genetically altered mosquitoes have proven their reliability in tests across the globe
[In November 2016,] the first U.S. experiment to release genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes into the wild gets put to a ...
Why some people struggle with shift work fatigue: It’s in the genes
Some people adapt easily to shift work, but not everyone can handle constant disruptions to their daily rhythm. Finnish researchers ...
Does the herbicide glyphosate cause cancer? The GLP does a deep dive into the science
Glyphosate--an herbicide pioneered by Monsanto but now off patent--has emerged as a proxy for critics of crop biotechnology and intensive ...
Questions about wisdom of early mammograms raise stakes for genetic profiling
Conflicting screening recommendations are sure to confuse women — which raises the importance of factoring in genetic factors in risk ...
How biologist Jeffrey Gordon’s once obscure study brought microbiome to forefront of health research
Jeffrey L. Gordon is a biologist and director of the Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology at Washington University in ...
Turning nightmares off: Genes related to sleep may answer why we dream
Waking suddenly sweating and with your heart pounding after a vivid nightmare can be terrifying no matter how old you ...
Ebola evolved during latest outbreak to become deadlier to humans
What made the recent Ebola outbreak in west Africa so virulent? The virus that seeped across borders and killed more ...
Nebraska agronomist Don Lee, Journey of a Gene co-creator, on how genetic engineering can address crop disease
University of Nebraska's Don Lee, co-developer of 'Journey of a Gene', on how genetic engineering can address crop disease ...
Miami Beach requests emergency permission from FDA to use GMO mosquitoes
Aerial pesticide spraying has not eradicated the Zika virus in Miami Beach so far,...[so] the city is resorting to less conventional ...
Closer to curing Alzheimer’s as new drug reaches landmark stage in clinical trial
Although there are currently no approved therapies that slow or stop progression of [Alzheimer's Disease], several approaches are showing promise ...
CDC investigating increasing foodborne illnesses and deaths linked to organic food
A newly published study of outbreaks linked to organic food concludes that while more data are needed to assess whether the ...
Farmers’ view: NYT’s GMO analysis ignores environmental benefits of GMO crops
[Editor’s note: A recent article in the New York Times claims that GMO crops have not lived up to their promises ...
DNA sequencing of pap smears non-invasive alternative to prenatal genetic screening
Targeted DNA sequencing of fetal cells from Papanicolaou (Pap) smears may offer an improved and earlier route to prenatal genetic ...
Cancer is a death sentence for many women in low-income countries
A woman diagnosed with breast cancer in most high-income countries is very likely to survive. The opposite is true for ...
Unnecessary genetic tests wastes $500 million annually
We hear a lot about the wonders of genetic testing, how it can revolutionize medicine and find cures for fatal ...
Why there is no male version of ‘the pill’
The search for an effective male contraceptive drug has experienced a setback. An ethics committee prematurely ended a clinical trial ...
Fight against Zika turns into money-driven contest between different eradication strategies
The fight against dengue and Zika in Latin America is turning into a contest between mosquito-altering technologies, and between profits ...
Humans would not exist if viruses hadn’t intervened in our evolution
Viruses are parasites that cause a number of devastating diseases: AIDS, cervical cancer, the flu. They have led to a ...
Genotyping Jamaica’s best sprinters may reveal genes linked to speed
Jamaica has the best sprinters in the world. Why should we not also genotype them? The key is sample size ...
More athletes relying on genetic testing to tailor workouts despite meager scientific evidence
Genetic analysis companies are forging alliances with personal trainers, chiropractors, and coaches around the world to market genomics tests that ...
Human hibernation: How it can change the world of medicine
Many films and shows feature human hibernation as a means to help astronauts travel deep into space. While this could ...
Burn victims may recover quicker with stem cell skin grafts
Full thickness skin grafts are the golden standard for treating burn wounds. But most skin grafts for severe burns require ...
Rethinking obesity: More about genes than willpower
[A] nationally representative survey of 1,509 adults...by NORC at the University of Chicago, an independent research institution...found that concerns about ...
