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. 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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Safeguards against misuse of genetic data urged
Recent scientific progress includes the mapping of the entire human genetic code, or genome, which was completed in 2003, and ...
Stem cell treatment regrows Georgia man’s foot
By the time Dr. Spencer Misner had carved away the dead and diseased flesh from Bobby Rice’s right foot last ...
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 ...
The mysterious embryonic stem cell
Stem cells are mysterious. They are cells that make or replenish other cells. For example, when you donate blood, your ...
Philippines to be headquarters of stem cell therapy and research hub of Asia
The much-anticipated opening of the Asian Regenerative Center for Cellular Therapies (ARCCT) will soon be taking stem cell therapy treatment ...
Personhood vs. stem cell research
Recently, it was announced that Republican voters will have the opportunity to vote on a ballot question in the July ...
Turning DNA into a hard drive
Silicon-based computers are fine for typing term papers and surfing the Web, but scientists want to make devices that can ...
