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.
Privacy concerns raised by use of consumer genomics data in pharmaceutical research
The largest single repository of human genetic data in the world is not at any university, research institute, or pharmaceutical ...
Genghis Khan’s reputation as history’s most fertile father challenged by 9 mystery men
Millions of men bear the genetic legacy of Genghis Khan, the famously fertile Mongolian ruler who died in 1227. Researchers ...
Extending healthy life through gene manipulation: Sounds cool but it’s complicated
There has been a recent flurry of news and excitement about tracing the the genetics of athletic ability, effects of ...
Disneyland measles outbreak grows as calls for vaccination intensify
A measles outbreak that began at Disneyland is spreading across California and beyond, prompting health officials to move aggressively to contain ...
Should direct-to-consumer DNA tests come with a health warning?
Genetic testing is appropriate — and can be life saving — when doctors and genetic counsellors interpret complex results and map out ...
Details expected to emerge on President’s personalized medicine initiative
During his State of the Union address to Congress on Jan. 20, 2015, President Barack Obama announced a programme called ...
Does genome editing mean the end of genetic disease?
In October, two scientists shared the $3 million Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for inventing the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology ...
Researchers develop nanoparticles that prevent cancer metastasis in mice
When a person dies from cancer, the culprit is usually not the original tumor but rather the cancerous cells that ...
Studies in mice show timing of meals important in maintaining body weight
While the diet wars may rage on, it's pretty universally accepted that what you eat matters when it comes to ...
Why this year’s flu vaccine wasn’t great and what can be done
The unusually poor effectiveness of this year's flu vaccine calls for renewed efforts to create better vaccines, faster. What do ...
Nanotechnology and medicine: Coming of microscopic machines that treat disease
It’s been the stuff of science fiction: Sending miniaturized machines through the human body to repair organs internally, without the ...
US cancer death rates continue sharp drop, down 22% over two decades
In 1991 American deaths from cancer reached an historic peak, claiming the lives of 215 out of 100,000 citizens. In the two ...
Genetic variants altering key brain structures identified
In the animal kingdom, humans are known for our big brains. But not all brains are created equal, and now ...
DNA evidence ends ancestry debate over 9500 year old skeleton
Nearly two decades after the ancient skeleton called Kennewick Man was discovered on the banks of the Columbia River, the ...
Do fatty and sugary foods affect the brain and make you want to eat more?
Obviously, overeating unhealthy foods can lead to overweight. But looking beyond direct effects on expanding waistlines, our lab studies how ...
Recalling old and new fear memories use different brain pathways
People with anxiety disorders, such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), often experience prolonged and exaggerated fearfulness. Now, an animal ...
Are we locked into our biological clocks? Night shift workers want to know
What are the risks of altering our biological clocks with long term rotating shift work? Can the biolgical clock be ...
Research provides clues to improving safety of gene therapy
National Institutes of Health researchers have uncovered a key factor in understanding the elevated cancer risk associated with gene therapy ...
Can lab grown tissues help test drugs for rare diseases?
Marshall L. Summar, MD: I am Marshall Summar, Chief of Genetics and Metabolism at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, ...
Controversial Danish study suggests circumcision may be linked to autism
A controversial new study from Denmark shows a link between circumcision and autism, although experts differ sharply over what to ...
Genomics reveals evolutionary history of drug resistant tuberculosis
From the dawn of agriculture to the fall of the Soviet Union, major events in human history have left marks ...
What if Ebola became endemic in West Africa?
Last fall as the Ebola epidemic continued unabated, experts started discussing something that had never before been bandied about: the ...
Aging dogs can help us understand Alzheimer’s disease
Every 67 seconds someone in the United States is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and new estimates suggest that it may be ...
Could genetically engineered cattle hold Ebola cure?
On a farm outside Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a herd of cloned, genetically engineered cattle are busy incubating antibodies against ...
Growing tobacco plants genetically engineered to produce drugs and vaccines
Dave Roeser, St. Paul's award-winning hydroponic gardener will still grow vegetables but is adding medicinal plants. He plans to raise ...
What if your microbiome turns against you?
It’s an ugly fact of life that getting old means getting infections. Old people get attacked more by pathogens, and ...
Tracking the spread of bacterial infections with whole genome sequencing
No matter what they tried, the staff at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham in England could not quell an outbreak of ...
