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.
Researchers identify genes linked to migraine headaches
The following is an edited excerpt. Scientists at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute say they have identified five regions of ...
Biofilm bacteria spreads by building a transport network out of DNA
The following is an edited excerpt. Bacteria in slimy biofilms are able to spread rapidly over surfaces such as catheters ...
Virus therapy selectively destroys breast cancer stem cells in animal models
The following is an excerpt. A promising new treatment for breast cancer being developed at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer ...
DNA match leads to arrest in 1982 death case
The following is an edited excerpt. Stefanie Sue Watson disappeared almost 31 years ago on what was supposed to be ...
Study suggests new ways to maximize delivery of RNA strands
The following is an excerpt. Nanoparticles that deliver short strands of RNA offer a way to treat cancer and other diseases by shutting off malfunctioning genes ...
Gene editing to treat genetic diseases, Part II
The following is an edited excerpt. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and its milder form, Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD), are genetic disorders affecting approximately ...
The cancer genome in context: of mice and mutations
Researchers push the boundaries of cancer genomics--including making custom mouse models to develop personalized treatments ...
Brain tumors may control gene expression through new forms of RNA
The following is an edited excerpt. A new study, published in RNA Biology, reveals how brain tumours communicate with other cells ...
British geneticist Edith Heard discusses the limitations of epigenetics
The following is an edited excerpt. When something isn't working, Edith Heard is the kind of person who will try to fix ...
DNA folding patterns control gene expression
A decade after sequencing the human genome, it's time to tackle the folding of a human’s entire suite of DNA ...
Thirdhand smoke causes DNA damage
The following is an excerpt. A study led by researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has found for the first ...
Gene variations may predict response to breast cancer prevention therapies
The following is an edited excerpt. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota have identified variants in two genes that ...
Genome-wide analysis indicates gene pathways linked to kidney cancer
The following is an edited excerpt. A genome-wide analysis shows that alterations in gene pathways that govern cellular metabolism and ...
Genes involved in birth defects may also lead to mental illness
The following is an excerpt. Gene mutations that lead to major birth defects may also cause subtle disruptions in the ...
Chlamydia promotes gene mutations that lead to cancer
The following is an edited excerpt. Chlamydia trachomatis is a human pathogen that is the leading cause of bacterial sexually ...
Dog genetics spur scientific spat
The following is an excerpt. Scientists investigating the transformation of wolves into dogs are behaving a bit like the animals ...
Four Olympic female athletes found to be genetically male
The following is an excerpt. The governing body of world athletics is under pressure to review its eligibility rules after ...
Scientists identify gene that regulates stem cell death and skin regeneration
The following is an excerpt. Stem cells, known for their ability to self-renew and differentiate into any kind of tissue, ...
Iceland denies DNA data mining of country’s genealogical records
The following is an excerpt. deCODE Genetics, the company known for mining the DNA of Iceland's population to find links ...
Scientists discover mechanism that regulates DNA transposition
The following is an edited excerpt. Transposons, so-called 'jumping genes', make up 50 percent of the DNA in humans. They ...
Listening to the genome: music or noise?
How do we separate the signal from the noise in our "junk"-filled genomes? ...
Studies suggest genetic role in obesity
The following is an excerpt. Two new studies offer some solace to those who can't control their weight despite diet and exercise by providing more evidence ...
DNA tests estimate that Prince William is 0.3 to 0.8 percent Indian
Researchers have found that Prince William, heir to the throne, likely carries a small amount of Indian DNA ...
The most detailed map of the human brain ever
A new 3D brain map called BigBrain is the most detailed ever constructed, with a resolution so high it can ...
Traces of Neanderthal DNA in human genes suggest complex ancestry
The following is an excerpt. Thirty years ago, anthropologists were divided into two camps: Those who believed that humans had ...
Snail genes reveal human migration to Ireland
The following is an excerpt. A genetic similarity between snail fossils found in Ireland and the Eastern Pyrenees suggests humans ...
Bacterial DNA found in human genomes
The following is an excerpt. A team of scientists from the University of Maryland School of Medicine has found the ...
