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.
Study: ‘Smart bomb’ drug attacks breast cancer
A new kind of medicine to fight breast cancer is emerging: a drug combination designed to act like a smart ...
Some stem cells can trigger tumors
Stem cells often used in reconstructive surgery following mastectomies and other cancer-removal treatments may pose a danger: Cornell biomedical scientists ...
Screening new drugs with stem cells
Mass producing stem cells to screen drugs and study the progress of disease is not the sexier side of the ...
First epigenome in Europe completed
A study led by Manel Esteller, director of the Epigenetics and Cancer Biology Program at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute ...
Stem cell scientists take hope from first human trials but see long road ahead
Hilton has the distinction of being the first person in the UK to receive a transplant of human embryonic stem ...
Bioethics and corruption: What’s the link?
Corruption is not a chapter heading in most bioethics textbooks. But a passionate article in a recent issue of the ...
Variations of a single gene can lead to too much or too little growth, study shows
A gene previously linked to too much growth in patients has now also been linked to growth restriction. Different forms ...
Gene therapy approval?
After 20 years of high-profile failure, gene therapy is finally well on its way to clinical approval ...
U.S. House Democrats defeat sex-selective abortion ban
The House of Representatives voted down a bill Thursday that sought to ban sex-selective abortion, 246-168, according to the Washington ...
Israel in all of US? Research find Jewish links in unusual places
This is not a story of Lost Tribes, but of lost history–the discovery of “Jewish genes” in Hispano Christian populations ...
Stem cell resting state regulation revealed
The growth or production of hematopoietic stem cells (stem cells that give rise to all blood cell types) is known ...
Expanding the genetic alphabet may be easier than previously thought
A new study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute suggests that the replication process for DNA -- the ...
Chemical exposure ups descendants’ sensitivity to stress
Animals whose ancestors were exposed to an environmental compound generations earlier have been found to developed an increased reaction to ...
Rainbow papayas: First GM fruit to resist virus- now on sale in Japan
A breakthrough in Japan, which has been historically precautionary about GM foods: “Rainbow” papayas–genetically modified to withstand the deadly ringspot ...
Stem cells tested for heart attack repair
Scientists are a step closer to harnessing a technique that “literally mends broken hearts”, according to the Daily Express. The ...
Blood test due for postpartum depression?
A simple blood test soon may be able to predict which new mothers will suffer from postpartum depression, a condition ...
Researchers solve structure of human protein critical for silencing genes
In a study published in the journal Cell on May 24, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) scientists describe the three-dimensional ...
Growth factor in stem cells may spur recovery from multiple sclerosis
A substance in human mesenchymal stem cells that promotes growth appears to spur restoration of nerves and their function in ...
How will abortion politics be effected by advent of advanced DNA screening ?
Today, if you’re pregnant with a defective fetus, you won’t know about the problem till you’re well along. At 10 ...
Should government financed DNA research be practical or theoretical?
Scientific breakthroughs like Jeffreys's exemplify what is known in modern science as "impact". This contentious concept tiptoes along the intersection ...
Living with Huntington’s disease
Children have a 50-50 chance of inheriting the rare disease from their parents. Kristen Powers told USA TODAY in April ...
Patient’s stem cells show promise in treating urinary incontinence
Findings from a multi-center trial led by researchers at Beaumont Hospital may give urologists another minimally invasive treatment option for ...
Personalized medicine: Blood tests combined with genome sequencing yield breakthrough therapy
In a remarkable new story, one professor, who sequenced his own genome, found that he was a high risk for ...
Stem cells restore sight in India
Chakravarti is among thousands of Indians who lose their sight in chemical accidents each year. Today, some of those people ...
Aging process attacks stem cells
Stem cells are not invincible and therefore not likely to be the magic wand in the world of medicine, but ...
Beautiful skin based on your DNA? Austin doctor says yes
Dr. Ruthie Harper will tell you that beautiful skin starts from the inside out, and it's all about your DNA ...
Genetics affect odds of quitting smoking
Genetics can help predict whether a person is likely to quit smoking on his or her own or need medication ...
