Daily Human Digest
Every day, the staff of the Genetic Literacy Project scours the Web for stories on a range of human genetics issues, including gene editing, regulations and bioethics, gene therapy, epigenetics, personal genomics, evolution, ancestry and artificial intelligence. We publish excerpts of those stories and encourage our readers to visit the original publications for the complete stories.
Your diet affects your grandchildren’s DNA, scientists say
You are what you eat, the saying goes. And, according to two new genetic studies, you are what your mother, ...
Fat stem cells from liposuction used to form functioning blood vessels
Liposuction may yield more than just a leaner figure – it can potentially produce stem cells for tissue reconstruction. Researchers ...
New evidence for stem cells that spur cancer’s growth
For a decade, it’s been one of the most hotly debated questions in cancer: do tumors return despite powerful treatments ...
Are stem cells delivering on their potential therapeutic benefits?
Since stem cells have the potential to become almost any cell in the body, these cells offer tremendous potential to ...
Get ready for a new genre of medical tests for the era of personalized medicine
A new genre of diagnostic tests – which determine whether a medicine is right for a patient’s genes – are ...
Company seeks FDA approval for personal DNA test
Genetic test maker 23andMe is asking the Food and Drug Administration to approve its personalized DNA test in a move ...
Genetic tests could explain why some children and teens die unexpectedly
Characterized by a hidden defect in certain cardiac cells, the syndrome had several bizarre variants. One type results in cardiac ...
Man-made proteins put a new twist on evolution – and they fight the flu
Man-made proteins. You may have never heard of them, but you will. They are set to become huge change agents ...
Elusive gene that causes a form of blindness from birth discovered
Researchers from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Loyola University Chicago Health Sciences Division and ...
Researchers discover gene mutations that causes paralysis in patients from childhood
Alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC) is a very rare disorder that causes paralysis that freezes one side of the body ...
Fruit flies light the way to pinpoint genetic changes that spell cancer
By studying fruit flies, scientists at A*STAR’s Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) have successfully devised a fast and ...
Human family tree gets another “mysterious” branch: Neanderthal-type species once roamed Africa, DNA shows
The human family tree just got another — mysterious — branch, an African “sister species” to the heavy-browed Neanderthals that ...
Olympic medicine: Are elite athletes really healthier than the rest of us?
As Los Angeles Times science writer Jon Bardin wrote in a recent article, “There are numerous genetic factors known to ...
New gene mutation associated with Congenital Myopathy
University of Michigan researchers have discovered a new cause of congenital myopathy: a mutation in a previously uncharacterized gene, according ...
Is personalized medicine a myth?
The intersection of technology, science, medicine and design has led to an explosion of apps for monitoring blood pressure, glucose ...
Sea creature called lancelet’s genetic mistake was a big win for humans
How did we arrive where we are? A dainty, quill-like sea creature called a lancelet provides the best evidence that ...
Genes influence whether psych drugs lead to weight gain
Researchers have discovered two genetic variants associated with substantial, rapid weight gain in people taking antipsychotic medications. The researchers said ...
First genetic sequence of individual human sperm
Sperm cells can look the same with a similar tadpole appearance. However, the cells showcase differences among the genes. Recently, ...
Early Africans mated with mystery species of humans
The human family tree just got another — mysterious — branch, an African “sister species” to the heavy-browed Neanderthals that ...
New book seeks to unravel the genetic code that makes us human
There's enough DNA in the human body to stretch from the sun to Pluto and back. But don't confuse DNA ...
New genomic sequencing method enables ‘smarter’ anaysis of individual cells
Research published in the July 22 issue of Nature Biotechnology, shows for the first time that a novel genomic sequencing ...
Parkinson’s, Huntington’s disease research makes advances with stem cells
Two groups of Parkinson's and Huntington's researchers working in 13 labs nationwide have used advanced stem-cell technology to make human ...
What causes stem cells to become harmful cancer cells? Scientists may have discovered the reason why
Stem cells hold great promise for the medicine of the future, but they can also be a cause of disease ...
Stem cells show promise as heart failure treatment
Scientists who used modified stem cells to rejuvenate damaged and aged heart cells from elderly heart failure patients say their ...
The great gene-patent debate contines: Does it help or hinder research?
An ongoing legal battle over gene patents has led many scientists to ask whether such claims help or hinder research ...
After media pressure, insurer relents, makes exception to pay for kids’ genetic tests
WellPoint Inc. says it will pay for DNA testing for three children to see whether they have inherited from their ...
Why black athletes dominate the sprinting world
View the original article here: Why black athletes dominate the sprinting world ...
Vast gene study raises hope for colon cancer drugs
More than 200 researchers investigating colon cancer tumors have found genetic vulnerabilities that could lead to powerful new treatments. The ...
