genetics

A light micrograph of a primitive human embryo, composed of four cells, following the initial mitotic divisions that ultimately transform a single-cell organism into one composed of millions of cells.

Embryo Research To Reduce Need For In Vitro Fertilization Raises Ethical Concerns

9:10pm January 15, 2020

by Rob Stein

Aiming to find a cheaper, easier way than IVF to ensure human embryos are healthy before implantation, researchers paid women to be inseminated, then flushed the embryos from their wombs for analysis.

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UK Biobank has granted 10,000 qualified scientists access to its large database of genetic sequences and other medical data, but other organizations with databases have been far more restrictive in giving access.

How Should Scientists' Access To Health Databanks Be Managed?

11:16am September 06, 2019

by Richard Harris

Medical and genetic data from more than a million Americans are now in scientific databases. Some programs hoard the data, while others share widely with scientists, hoping to speed medical discovery.

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UK Biobank, based in Manchester, England, is the largest blood-based research project in the world. The research project will involve at least 500,000 people across the U.K., and follow their health for next 30 years or more, providing a resource for scie

UK Biobank Requires Earth's Geneticists To Cooperate, Not Compete

8:19am August 31, 2019

by Richard Harris

A project that shares medical information from 500,000 volunteers is driving innovative research around the world. The richness of the database means scientists are motivated to make it even better.

Health & Safety

UNC Study Finds That Anorexia Is Both Metabolic And Psychiatric

3:01pm August 05, 2019

by Bethany Chafin

New research is changing the way we understand anorexia nervosa — a disorder characterized by dangerously low bo

Altovise Ewing, who has a doctorate in human genetics and counseling, now works as a genetic counselor and researcher at 23andMe, one of the largest direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies, based in Mountain View, Calif.

Genetic Counselors Of Color Tackle Racial, Ethnic Disparities In Health Care

8:11am July 27, 2019

by Erika Stallings

They work with patients to decide when genetic testing is appropriate, interpret test results and counsel families on the ways hereditary diseases might impact them. A trusting relationship is key.

Overall in medical research, the proportion of participants with non-European ancestry is only about 20 percent, says Columbia University bioethicist Sandra Soo-Jin Lee. And that's a problem.

Mistrust And Lack Of Genetic Diversity Slow Gains In Precision Medicine

11:56am July 25, 2019

by Pien Huang

Scientists hoping to get more diversity of ancestry among medical research volunteers need to grapple with the history of medical exploitation, says a Columbia University bioethicist.

The genetic variation Chinese scientist He Jiankui was trying to re-create when he edited twin girls' DNA may be more harmful than helpful to health overall, a new study says.

2 Chinese Babies With Edited Genes May Face Higher Risk Of Premature Death

7:59pm June 03, 2019

by Rob Stein

Analysis of DNA from more than 400,000 people in the U.K. suggests a genetic modification that protects against HIV may actually increase the overall risk of premature death.

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People who are sensitive to the bitterness of caffeine tend to drink more coffee than others, while people sensitive to bitter flavors like quinine drink less coffee, according to a new study.

Buzz, Buzz: Bitter Tasters Like Coffee Better

3:06pm November 15, 2018

by Joe Palca

A genetic analysis of samples taken from a large UK health database suggest that people who are more sensitive than their peers to the bitter taste of caffeine tend to drink more coffee — not less.

"Everything is private information, stored on your computer or a computer you designate," says George Church, genetics professor at Harvard Medical School, about the approach of Nebula Genomics.

Startup Offers To Sequence Your Genome Free Of Charge, Then Let You Profit From It

2:06pm November 15, 2018

by Richard Harris

A full genome sequence costs about $1,000. But Nebula Genomics expects that companies and researchers would defray the cost in exchange for key medical information about the person involved.

According to the law in most states, health care providers own patients' medical records. But federal privacy law governs how that information can be used. And whether or not you can profit from your own medical data is murky.

If Your Medical Information Becomes A Moneymaker, Could You Get A Cut?

6:49pm October 15, 2018

by Richard Harris

Sometimes discoveries derived from patients' medical data become the foundation of new profit-making companies. A fledgling industry wants to help patients get a cut of the cash.

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