Ricki Lewis
Alternate facts: Why are we still telling women that abortion causes breast cancer?
On June 26th, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of crisis pregnancy centers that were challenging a California law, the Reproductive ...
Battling constipation with synthetic biology and DNA manipulation
Ateam of researchers has cleverly combined synthetic biology, recombinant DNA technology and microbiome manipulation to fashion a novel targeted treatment ...
Viewpoint: Why we aren’t yet on the verge of a preemie prediction test
Earlier this month, I saw an interesting juxtaposition of newly-published papers making headlines. One was about predicting breast cancer recurrence ...
Can the Egyptian fruit bat’s unusual genome show us how to fight deadly Marburg virus?
The Egyptian fruit bat's immune system enables it to peacefully co-exist with Marburg virus, which can cause a swiftly deadly ...
Quick fix: Gene therapy could offer less invasive pet contraception
Might gene therapy provide a one-time, far less invasive way to ensure that cats and dogs do not beget kittens ...
Making sense of crowdfunding for unapproved stem cell treatments
When FDA approval for a technology or treatment lags behind demand, crowdfunding steps in. Desperate patients or their families launch ...
Genetic privacy and the case of the Golden State Killer—diving into the science
Consumer DNA testing companies are rushing to reassure customers about the security of their genetic information following news that DNA ...
Protein therapy in the womb overrides genetic glitch hampering teeth development, ability to sweat
Imagine a fetus gulping in amniotic fluid and drinking a drug that restores the ability to form teeth, sweat glands ...
Tale of two families: Exome sequencing and faster diagnosis of rare disorders
Sailing from New York City to London a century ago took days; today the trip takes hours by air. Similarly, ...
Viewpoint: Rampage movie offers twisted take on CRISPR gene editing
Is a film based on a video game with fleeting mentions of a biotech buzzword compelling sci-fi? No. But I ...
Mood disorders more common in children of first-cousin parents, study finds
Having parents who are first cousins doubles the risk of inheriting a single-gene condition, from 2.5 percent to about 5 ...
Examining the curious genes behind ‘magic mushrooms’
"One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small,” sang Grace Slick in Jefferson Airplane’s classic White Rabbit, conjuring ...
Here’s what we really know about transgender genetics—so far
The week started strangely. On [March 19], the author of a new book on transgender identity emailed me, asking about ...
Fertility clinic meltdown: What happens when slumbering eggs are awakened early
Fragile spindle apparatuses are an integral part to embryonic growth. What happened to embryo structures when they were thawed and ...
Space astronaut twin’s DNA ‘changed’? How some reports botched the story, and what we really know
When the Today Show reported on March 15 that the DNA of Scott Kelly, who spent a year on the ...
Good and potentially bad about FDA’s greenlighting of 23andMe direct-to-consumer BRCA mutation tests
News that consumers will soon be able to purchase a genetic test for three BRCA mutations may seem like déjà ...
How the vampire bat came to feed on blood, and what we can learn from its droppings
Why do the three species of vampire bats eat only blood, compared to the 1,240 other species that are perfectly ...
Incurable arthritic knees? Gene therapy offers new hope
Imagine a single injection into the knee vanquishing painful arthritis — forever. Gene therapies aimed at two molecular targets could ...
NBC News’ Richard Engel’s son diagnosed with Rett syndrome. Why that’s such a rarity
The Today Show recently reported the sad story of Henry Engel—the toddler son of correspondent Richard Engel and his wife Mary Forrest who ...
Human muscles from stem cells: Advance could aid research into muscular dystrophy, other diseases
Muscle created with stem cells is not quite as strong as the researchers would like. But they think these new ...
I was diagnosed with breast cancer. How genetic testing guided what to do next.
Genetics counselor and writer Ricki Lewis explains how a breast cancer diagnosis led her to genetic testing—and why she decided ...
Treating the concussion epidemic: Could spit tests identify those most likely to recover slowly?
A study found that microRNA in the saliva may offer early warning signs about a person's likelihood of recovering quickly ...
Italian family’s inability to feel pain spurs research on relief for chronic sufferers
The six members of the family barely notice broken bones or severe burns. Researchers have identified the mutation behind their ...
Gene therapy challenge: How much should it cost and how do we pay for it?
When evaluating the high prices of one-time gene therapy treatments, should we look to the costs of organ transplants when ...
Anatomy of the demon Demogorgon from ‘Stranger Things’: Is there a real-life counterpart?
The Demogorgon, a creature from the hit Netflix show 'Stranger Things', resembles real life cellular slime mold ...
Does air pollution reach the womb, eventually leading to heart disease and shorter lives?
New research gives expectant mothers reason to be more cautious with air pollution, which can cause damage to the critical ...
Naming genetic diseases: There’s more to it than you might think
An effort is underway to streamline the way we name genetic diseases, with an emphasis on imparting useful medical information, ...
Gene therapy creates boy’s replacement skin from his stem cells
Doctors treated a 7-year-old boy’s devastating genetic skin disease—junctional epidermolysis bullosa—by genetically modifying his stem cells to create a new ...
