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.
U.S. panel urges end to secret DNA testing
Blood stains from bandages and tampons? Ship them in a paper envelope for paternity, ancestry or health testing. EasyDNA also ...
Small California stem cell research brings riches by tapping into to state funds
StemCells Inc. has had rather a charmed relationship with California's publicly funded stem cell program, with some $40 million in ...
Human trials using stem cells to treat a genetic nerve disease
Following up on yesterday's post below, another important study was just published in the journal Science Translational Medicine that brings ...
Personalized medicine research strikes early for heart genes
A landmark paper identifying genetic signatures that predict which patients will respond to a life-saving drug for treating congestive heart ...
Artist uses epigenetics to practice ‘experimental philosophy’
The man in the bow tie says he can transform you into anyone you want. At the Modernism Gallery in ...
DNA from phony ‘chewing gum survey’ solves 1976 cold case
A DNA sample from a phony "chewing gum survey" led to the arrest of a man who has been charged ...
Blood or bone marrow better for stem cell transplants?
For people whose bone marrow has been destroyed by chemotherapy, radiation or disease, stem cell transplants offer a potential lifeline ...
Genetic test to tell your athletic potential: Would you take it?
As reported by the New York Times, in a landmark 2010 study scientists looked for a genetic answer to the ...
Scientists discover new blood-vessel-generating cells
Researchers claim to have discovered stem cells that play a decisive role in new blood vessel growth, paving way for ...
GM mouse created to detect landmines
Scientists have genetically modified mice to enable them to sniff out landmines. They hope the GM mouse, known as MouSensor, ...
Comparing family history and genetic tests for predicting complex disease risk
In a new theoretical study, 23andMe, the personal genetics company, developed a mathematical model which shows that family history and ...
Scientists create GM fly with gene mutation similar to one that causes seizures in humans
Scientists have created fruit flies with a gene mutation analogous to one that causes epileptic seizures in people—a first in ...
Developing stem cell model for Gaucher disease and neurodegenerative conditions
A new method of using adult stem cells as a model for the hereditary condition Gaucher disease could help accelerate ...
Gene mutation can stop sperm from swimming
A gene mutation has been associated with sperm motility and production, offering new insights into male infertility ...
Personalized genomic medicine: How much can it really empower patients? – Science Codex
Personalized genomic medicine is hailed as a revolution that will empower patients to take control of their own health care, ...
Study identifies multipotent and unipotent stem cells that contribute to prostate postnatal development
Publication in Nature Cell Biology advanced on line publication: researchers at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, ULB identify multipotent and ...
New life for the dead: Stem cells from corpses’ scalps
Death will come for us all one day, but life will not fade from our bodies all at once. After ...
International study finds 21 genes tied to cholesterol levels
In a UCL-led study, published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, an international consortium of over 180 scientists report ...
Can genetic tests help you build a better workout?
Do we really need a test to tell us whether our genes are sabotaging our efforts to get fit? A ...
Stem cell researcher Moriguchi admits to lying about clinical trial
Japanese researcher Hisashi Moriguchi in a news conference admitted that he had lied about several circumstances regarding his involvement in ...
DNA test could shed light on royal remains
Archaeologists and one hopeful relative are anxiously waiting to see if a skeleton dug up from a hole in a ...
The $1000 Genome is here – are we ready?
The era of the $1000 genome, which is all but upon us already, is a new era of predictive and ...
DNA evidence may not be an open and shut case
The belief that DNA samples mark out individuals like an infallible biological barcode is powerful. But the process of tying ...
Claim of first human stem cell trial unravels
Claims by a Japanese scientist to have run a clinical trial in which reprogrammed cardiac muscle cells grown from induced ...
Researchers create an animal entirely from stem cells
Biotechnology is getting into some pretty interesting territory these days. The latest breakthrough comes from Kyoto University where research scientists ...
Stem cells show early promise for rare brain disorder
Four young boys with a rare, fatal brain condition have made it through a dangerous ordeal. Scientists have safely transplanted ...
Researchers improve gene therapy technique for children with immune disorder
By including chemotherapy as a conditioning regimen prior to treatment, researchers have developed a refined gene therapy approach that safely ...
