MONDAY, July 12, 2021 (HealthDay News) — New recommendations on human genome editing issued by the World Health Organization include a call for a global registry to track “any form of genetic manipulation” and a whistle-blowing process for unethical or unsafe research. The WHO first commissioned the expert advisory panelContinue Reading
FRIDAY, July 9, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Why do some people infected with SARS-CoV-2 have either no or negligible symptoms, while others sicken and die? Scientists who’ve pinpointed several genetic markers associated with severe COVID-19 say their findings could provide answers to that important question — and targets for futureContinue Reading
THURSDAY, July 1, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The notion of parents picking out genetically perfect babies may seem like science fiction. But in a new report, a multidisciplinary group of researchers warn that some companies have already started to offer couples going through in vitro fertilization (IVF) the means toContinue Reading
THURSDAY, July 1, 2021 (HealthDay News) — A gene therapy aimed at freeing the heart’s capacity for self-repair has shown early promise in an animal study. The study — done in pigs — found that the treatment approach was not only feasible, but also improved the animals’ heart function afterContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, June 30, 2021 (HealthDay News) — A gene variant may be driving high rates of unnecessary bone marrow biopsies in Black Americans, researchers say. The variant is responsible for lower white blood cell levels in some healthy Black people, the investigators said. “We’ve essentially created this racial health disparityContinue Reading
TUESDAY, June 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Early research suggests that CRISPR gene-editing technology may some day lead to dramatic relief for patients struggling with amyloidosis, a rare but serious disease that can trigger organ failure. “There are many different types of amyloidosis,” explained study author Dr. Julian Gillmore, aContinue Reading
FRIDAY, June 25, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Could a new one-and-done blood test designed to detect as many as 50 different types of cancer become a diagnostic game changer? Yes, say researchers, who report the method appears accurate and reliable at identifying and locating cancer, including some kinds for whichContinue Reading
MONDAY, June 21, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Researchers say they’ve identified a new gene associated with an increased risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — and that their discovery could lead to improved treatments for the deadly disease. ALS — also called Lou Gehrig’s disease — is a rare, progressiveContinue Reading
THURSDAY, June 10, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Researchers are using mice to study a potential new treatment that could help patients who have sickle cell disease, without some of the risks and side effects of existing therapies. The investigators reported using genetic-based editing on mice to convert a disease-causing hemoglobinContinue Reading
MONDAY, June 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) — That third or fourth cup of coffee may do more than make your heart race: New research suggests it could significantly increase your risk of glaucoma if you’re genetically predisposed to the eye disease. The study included more than 120,000 British people, agedContinue Reading
MONDAY, June 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Antibiotics do not reduce the risk of hospitalization or death in patients with a lethal lung disease known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a new study finds. “We were certainly disappointed in the results,” said study co-author Dr. Imre Noth, chief of pulmonary andContinue Reading
FRIDAY, June 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) — A newly approved lung cancer drug shows promise in improving survival in patients whose tumors carry a common and tough-to-treat genetic mutation, researchers say. Sotorasib — brand name Lumakras — was approved May 28 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as aContinue Reading
FRIDAY, June 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) — A twice-daily pill can dramatically reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence in women who are genetically prone to the disease, researchers report. The pill — olaparib (Lynparza) — works by blocking a natural enzyme called PARP that normally fixes DNA damage inContinue Reading
THURSDAY, June 3, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Could getting out of bed just one hour earlier every day lower your risk for depression? Yes, claims new research that found an earlier start to the day was tied to a 23% lower risk of developing the mood disorder. The study ofContinue Reading