Diana Kwon
Articles written specifically for the GLP or the articles that are reposted from other sources (sometimes in modified form) with permission list the source as Genetic Literacy Project. Excerpted articles list the original media outlet as the source. Excerpts are posted under guidelines for Fair Use and Creative Commons for educational nonprofits (501c3). The GLP’s Fair Use policy for posting excerpts and using images is explained here.
‘Game-changing failure’: Trials of two Huntington’s disease-fighting gene therapy drugs halted, in ‘crushing blow’ to sufferers
Researchers had hoped that [a new treatment in trials] —known as antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs)—would be a game changer for [Huntington’s ...
Infographic: Gene therapy drugs that silence the effects of faulty genes could help tackle Huntington’s and other neurodegenerative diseases
Huntington’s disease (HD) is an inherited condition that causes widespread deterioration in the brain and disrupts thinking, behaviour, emotion and ...
‘Bioelectric memory patch’ promises to boost short-term memory. Could it really work?
What if you could boost your brain’s processing capabilities simply by sticking electrodes onto your head and flipping a switch? ...
Non-addictive version of ecstasy ‘party drug’ emerges as potential treatment for PTSD, anxiety
MDMA, or ecstasy, once had the reputation of exclusively being an illicit party drug popular at raves and dance clubs ...
How the microbiome may boost the brain’s recovery from stroke damage
Despite a decades-long search, scientists have yet to pinpoint effective ways of protecting the brain from poststroke damage. In recent ...
Brain organoids may have ‘critical’ research limitation: Imperfect modeling of human development
Despite their potential, [brain] organoids still have some critical limitations. In a study presented [October 22] at the Society for Neuroscience meeting ...
‘Gross and dangerous”: Genetic test for same-sex attraction condemned by scientists
In August, a group of researchers published the results of a massive genome-wide association study on homosexual behavior. The take-home message ...
Beware claims by consumer DNA testing companies: They can’t predict how long you’ll live
“Upload DNA data and know more about yourself,” promises Genomelink, anywhere from fitness-related attributes, such as longevity, pulmonary function, and job-related ...
‘Fight or flight’: How your bones may help you make that decision
In the face of fear, whether it be caused by a grizzly bear or an audience waiting to hear you ...
Tracking Neanderthal DNA in modern humans: There’s been little change in 45,000 years
Neanderthals, modern humans’ closest evolutionary relatives, have been extinct for thousands of years. But due to interbreeding between the two ...
Understanding the ‘little brain’ could be key to treating autism, addiction
For about two centuries the scientific community believed the cerebellum (Latin for “little brain”), which contains approximately half of the ...
Men are less tolerant than women when it comes to repeated pain, study shows
A painful experience is not one you are likely to forget—you don’t need to have a trunk slammed onto your ...
Reversing OCD with intensive 4-day ‘head-on’ therapy
[A]round nine years after [Katherine] Mydland-aas’s cleaning rituals began, a psychologist diagnosed her with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and referred her ...
What makes human brain cells so powerful?
Spanish neuroscientist Santiago Ramón y Cajal revolutionized the study of the brain when he observed neurons for the first time ...
Exploring color blindness through human retinas grown in lab
A paper published October 11 in Science uses a retina grown outside the body to show how cones develop into the eyes’ color sensors ...
Cancer screening could be revolutionized by new cell sorting method
The field of cytometry, or cell measurement—which helps doctors diagnose problems including cancer, in which cells morph into unusual forms—has ...
Limiting brain damage in stroke patients by controlling inflammation
In an ischemic stroke a clot blocks a blood vessel to the brain, depriving oxygen and nutrients to part of ...
Extinct strain of hepatitis B found in human remains suggests virus had greater diversity
Despite its prevalence, little is known about the ancestral roots of the [hepatitis B] virus. New findings, published [May 9] in Nature, ...
How is the gut linked to Parkinson’s disease?
[P]hysicians have noted that constipation is one of the most common symptoms of Parkinson’s, appearing in around half the individuals diagnosed with ...
Hot stuff: Do human pheromones really exist?
Some companies, such as the Athena Institute, which, according to its founder, Winnifred Cutler, published its 108th consecutive ad in The Atlantic this month, ...
Some schizophrenia, bipolar disorder linked to brain pH imbalances
Sometimes our brains are on acid—literally. A main source of these temporary surges is the carbon dioxide that is constantly ...
Human ‘tree rings’? Neuroimaging predicts life span and brain age
In recent years, scientists have plumbed the molecular depths of the body and surfaced with tell-tale biomarkers of aging, some ...
Gene therapy breakthrough for age-related macular degeneration
Wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) occurs when blood vessels grow and leak fluid into the macula, the central portion of ...
Genetic secrets of farming’s most notorious and persistent pest: Aphids
Aphids are some of nature’s most notorious pests...which causes physical damage and transmits pathogens that often render plants unsuitable for ...
Why you can tell the difference between fake laughter and the real thing
Most of us will laugh at a good joke, but we also laugh when we are not actually amused. Fake ...
Deep breaths: Calming effects of meditation may be rooted in brain stem
During yoga pranayama exercises people practice controlling the breath, or prana, to induce a state of calm and focus... Research ...
Brain’s glial cells may hold key to treating obesity
Some of the latest discoveries suggest that [glial cells] play complex roles in regulating appetite and metabolism, making them a ...
‘Sleep hormone’ melatonin may protect against multiple sclerosis
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses ...
