Daily Human Digest
Farmers hope GM wheat could be next big bio crop
Using the tools of biotechnology, GM wheat would increase yields, lower food pieces and increase food security, which could make ...
RNA plays role in cellular communication
For decades, researchers have been finding DNA and its sister, RNA, circulating in the body, outside the safe interior of ...
Gene puts African Americans at higher risk for kidney failure
Genetic factors in African Americans with chronic kidney disease (CKD) put them at a greater risk for end-stage renal disease ...
Americans want doctors’ guidance on genetic test results
In an era of commercialized medicine, direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing has been on a steady rise. Consumers can purchase a ...
Doctors faced with rare or difficult cancers can just Google genetic treatments
Since DNA sequencing began in the 1990s, one of its greatest promises has been that doctors treating cancer could sequence ...
Could mass DNA testing change health care?
A simple genetic test could show whether you're likely to get a serious disease, and it only costs $99. The ...
Bioengineered patch regrows damaged bones inside the body
Researchers from the University of Iowa have developed a remarkable new procedure for regenerating missing or damaged bone. It's called ...
Chronic stress impacts genes, causes inflammation
Stress: It’s a common, and sometimes unavoidable, affliction in the modern world. Adults and even sometimes children are faced with ...
Critics urge caution over UK genome project call for volunteers
British researchers are looking for volunteers to have their genome sequenced and made publicly available; critics warn about the loss ...
Speculation over insect photo shows human bias in interpreting nature
Does this photo show some sort of insect hybrid that is part ant, part fly, part spider? Recent speculation has ...
Fountain-of-youth gene unleashes healing power
Mice that had been genetically engineered to develop tumours failed to do so. Instead, the animals grew up to be ...
Test can tell genome of a woman’s egg even before it is used in IVF
Fertility doctors in Beijing are testing a new method for genome analysis of human eggs before using them for in ...
Another eczema gene identified
Eczema is a common skin problem that involves chronic inflammation and itching. Genetic studies of the disorder have homed in ...
21st century will be the age of precision genetics
Until now, it has only been possible to “edit” a living genome using dangerously blunt methods; modified viruses are sure ...
Making sense of gene additions and deletions in tumor cells
In a paper published last week in the journal Cell, researchers at Harvard Medical School shed light on a potentially critical factor in ...
Should you order a home DNA testing kit?
It’s one of the first questions you are asked when seen by a new doctor, “What is your family health ...
Amanda Knox trial: No DNA on knife to match to victim
New forensic analysis of the knife allegedly used to kill Meredith Kercher found no DNA match to the victim, the ...
Precision gene editing paves way for monkey models of genetic disease
A new precise technique for editing genes may allow researchers to to create genetically modified monkeys and develop treatments for ...
Your allergies may save your life
According to new research, allergies may have evolved in order to save lives by forcing sufferers to reject and expel ...
Should you have the right not to know genetic information?
Affordable genome sequencing has brought with it a host of ethical debates. Who owns the data? Who can access the ...
Genes shared by relatives influence brain aging
Early results from a long-term research project indicate that certain age-related declines in brain function are influenced by genes. This ...
Dolphins live in family groups, study says
The most common and well-known of their kind, bottlenose dolphins are famous for their roles in movies, television and water parks everywhere ...
Genotyping lung cancer linked to better survival
Genetic testing for personalized treatment of lung cancer was associated with improved survival, likely due to getting targeted kinase inhibitors ...
Being an egg donor or surrogate carries costs
It almost always starts with an emotional story: an infertile couple trying desperately to conceive; a woman diagnosed with cancer, ...
Always catching colds? Blame it on your socioeconomic status
New research says that low socioeconomic status is correlated with shorter telomere length and, interestingly, a higher propensity for getting ...
Canada considers genetic non-discrimination law
Physicians and patient advocacy groups say they support a proposed change to the Ontario Human Rights Code aimed at protecting ...
Woman denied IVF because fiancé has children already
A woman was denied the chance to have children when her NHS hospital refused her IVF because her fiancé already ...