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.
CRISPR technology successfully targets HPV
Researchers have hijacked a defense system normally used by bacteria to fend off viral infections and redirected it against the ...
Can stem cells aid in brain recovery after stroke?
Five patients received the treatment in a pilot study conducted by doctors at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and scientists at Imperial ...
Role of epigenetics in blood formation revealed, with surprising results
The process of differentiation – in which a stem cell becomes a specialized mature blood cell – is controlled by ...
Harvard stem cell scientist takes sabbatical following fraud scandal
Charles Vacanti, a Harvard anesthesiologist and stem cell pioneer whose name appeared on both retracted STAP stem cell papers, is ...
Brain breakthrough: Genome-wide association studies herald advances in treating mental disorders
Nothing is more challenging to science, or potentially more heartbreaking, than mental illness. The human brain remains inscrutable. But recent ...
Call for FDA regulation of U.S. stem cell clinics
Unregulated stem cell clinics are proliferating throughout the U.S. A case in point is the Cell Surgical Network (CSN), which ...
Research links genetics, child cognitive development and disorders
How genes affect intelligence is complicated. Multiple genes, many yet unknown, are thought to interact among themselves and with environmental ...
3D “jelly doughnut” models brain, may prove vital to future research
A doughnut created in a lab and made of silk on the outside and collagen gel where the jelly ought ...
CRISPR corrects mutant gene for incurable blood disorder
The genome-editing method involving CRISPR and Cas9 has been called into duty for a wide variety of jobs, from cutting integrated HIV ...
People missing Alzheimer’s gene provide clue to disease
The 40-year-old man showed up in Dr. Mary Malloy’s clinic with sadly disfiguring symptoms. His hands, elbows, ears and feet ...
Video: Appetite control and emotion arise from similar brain areas
Relatively few neurons, only thousands, control appetite in a brain region linked to inhibition, fear and emotion according to a ...
In an age of genetic healing, what happens to those too old to find cures?
I can still remember each second of that day just before Christmas when everything changed. The happy family lunch, then ...
Can cancers be categorized more precisely?
Advancing the work of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), a large team of researchers from multiple institutions performed a comprehensive analysis of ...
Antibacterial soaps may cause epigenetic changes to fetus
As the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mulls over whether to rein in the use of common antibacterial compounds that ...
Does Nicholas Wade’s ‘A Troublesome Inheritance’ focus on ‘race’ inaccurately portray human differences?
A new book by Nicholas Wade is being condemned by scientists, who claim that it paints a false picture of ...
Amid focus on curing illness, concern over treatment of disabled in society
I can still remember each second of that day just before Christmas when everything changed.The happy family lunch, then the ...
New technologies advance fight against infectious disease
Twenty years ago, at the Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) in Rockville, Maryland, Claire Fraser became one of the first ...
How the environment shapes our genetic code
The fascinating field of epigenetics studies how different environmental influences actually have the power to change gene expressions in our ...
Quest for answers on aging and longevity
Frailty is a common condition associated with old age, characterized by weight loss, weakness, decreased activity level and reduced mobility, ...
Your brain is making subliminal, near-instantaneous judgements of people based on their faces
Your brain is making a snap judgement on the trustworthiness of each stranger you see based on their faces -- ...
What can our microbiomes tell us about ourselves?
Some of my friends are sporting wristbands these days that keep track of their bodies. Little computers nestled in these ...
Fungus devastating frog populations by altering genome
A deadly fungus has decimated certain populations of amphibians globally for the past few decades, but scientists remain unclear about ...
Rethinking addiction and the brain on drugs
Every day sees a new research article on addiction, be it cocaine, heroin, food or porn. Each one takes a specific angle on how addiction ...
Stem cells advance personalized treatment for GI problems
A method of growing human cells from tissue removed from a patient’s gastrointestinal (GI) tract eventually may help scientists develop ...
GMOs + tobacco = life saving vaccines
Plants could act as safe, speedy factories for personalized treatments against a common form of cancer, according to recent findings ...
Taking ancestry into account with personalized medicine
A study of Mexican genetics reveals staggering diversity. In an increasingly globalized world, with human populations mixing at unprecedented rates, ...
Who wants to live to forever?
When does a 7-year-old consider the onset of old age to begin? What about when he’s 70? Ameliorating aging comes ...
