WEDNESDAY, Sept. 13, 2023 (HealthDay News) — A large number of drugs used to treat everything from multiple sclerosis to blood cancers to rheumatoid arthritis may cause a rare but often-fatal condition called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). But a simple genetic test can determine who has a 10-fold higher riskContinue Reading
THURSDAY, Sept. 7, 2023 (HealthDay News) — If you were a big baby — or your spouse or partner was — your baby has a good chance of being big, too. New research shows parents who were large babies are more likely to give birth to a large baby. KnowingContinue Reading
TUESDAY, Sept. 5, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Smoking may not only harm the smoker and those who breathe in the secondhand fumes, but also their future children. New research suggests that boys who smoke in their early teens risk passing on harmful genetic traits to future children. The study probedContinue Reading
THURSDAY, Aug. 31, 2023 (HealthDay News) — As it stands, no one blood test or brain scan can definitively diagnose Parkinson’s disease. But researchers report this may soon change if a new blood test continues to show promise. The test measures DNA damage in the mitochondria of cells, which isContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 23, 2023 (HealthDay News) — An international research team has achieved the first complete sequencing of the human Y chromosome, which is closely linked to male development. This is the last of the human chromosomes to be fully sequenced, an effort that may shed light on everything fromContinue Reading
FRIDAY, Aug. 18, 2023 (HealthDay News) — The brain is a complex organ, and a new study — believed to be the largest ever on the brain’s genetics — identifies more than 4,000 genetic variants linked to brain structure. The research, involving some 36,000 brain scans, was led by aContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 16, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Genetically engineered pig kidneys are nearing the point where they could provide a government-approved, sustainable supply of organs for sick humans awaiting a transplant, a pair of new studies argue. A lightly modified pig kidney has continued to function more than a monthContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 2, 2023 (HealthDay News) — A newly discovered genetic variant might explain why some people of African ancestry have naturally lower viral loads of HIV, an international team of researchers reports. This variant, carried by an estimated 4% to 13% of people of African origin, reduces their riskContinue Reading
TUESDAY, Aug. 1, 2023 (HealthDay News) — In a study of families that have multiple children with autism, researchers have unearthed new insights into genes that might drive the disorder. “Study design is critical, and not enough attention has been paid to studying families with more than one affected child,”Continue Reading
MONDAY, July 24, 2023 (HealthDay News) — You’ve likely heard that “you are what you eat,” but a new study suggests what you eat also has something to do with who you are — genetically speaking. Researchers have identified nearly 500 genes that appear to directly influence what someone eats.Continue Reading
WEDNESDAY, July 19, 2023 (HealthDay News) — In the world of COVID-19 infections, the majority of patients develop symptoms, while about one-fifth mysteriously don’t develop a cough, sore throat or other tell-tale signs of illness. Now, new research finds that these symptom-free super-dodgers are more than twice as likely asContinue Reading
TUESDAY, July 11, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Identifying genetic disorders in newborns and infants can help them get the care they need, but one approach — whole genome sequencing — appears far superior to another. In a new study, researchers compared whole genome sequencing with targeted gene-sequencing. They found thatContinue Reading
FRIDAY, June 23, 2023 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the drug Elevidys, the first gene therapy for the treatment of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The groundbreaking treatment will not be cheap: Drugmaker Sarepta Therapeutics Inc. said it would charge $3.2 millionContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, June 21, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating diagnosis, and if a close relative has had it you may worry whether you will be next. According to the National Institutes of Health, it is estimated that over 6 million Americans over 65 suffer from Alzheimer’s. SinceContinue Reading