October 30th, 2009
As a recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association noted this month, not all cancers are created equal. Some are less aggressive and easier to treat than others.
Now, as new tools to reveal these differences emerge, the JAMA article encourages researchers and clinicians to rethink screening for breast and prostate cancer.
Categories: Chapter 5: Your Genes and Cancer
October 25th, 2009
In the latest online edition of Nature Genetics, researchers at powerhouse genetics center Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory report that they have identified an important mutation that, while rare, significantly increases a person’s risk of developing schizophrenia. (If the Nature Genetics looks like only so much jargon, you can find a more readable overview here instead.)
In schizophrenia genetics, it’s becoming increasingly clear that numbers matter.
October 25th, 2009
Not sure how to pronounce “mitochondria“? Want to listen to human genome expert (and current NIH director) Francis Collins serve as your own personal talking genetics dictionary, defining concepts such as “personalized medicine“? Federal gene geeks at the National Human Genome Research Institute have unveiled their latest online talking glossary of gene-speak.
It’s interesting to see which terms made the cut — and which didn’t.
October 24th, 2009
Gene therapy — the use or manipulation of genes to address disease — doesn’t get much attention in general health news. There were notable failures and problems early on, and since then, efforts have been more low-key.
But every now and then, a new study makes it clear that gene therapy researchers keep trying, and sometimes succeed.
Categories: Chapter 9: Your Genes -- What's Next
October 22nd, 2009
Still not sure how to tell a SNP from a second-degree relative? You aren’t alone — and your doctor may be one of those keeping you company.
The LA Times reports on a recent survey of 10,000 physicians conducted by the American Medical Association and pharmacy benefits manager Medco. The survey asked physicians about their understanding of genetics, and comfort with using genetic information in their practice. And based on their answers, it’d be fair to say most of the doctors surveyed would describe their level of comfort as “Hmmm…just about none.”
October 12th, 2009
In California, one of the state’s biggest health care providers has teamed up with one of its most important research centers to open a powerful new genetic biobank. Kaiser Permanente and the University of California, San Francisco will study the genomes of more than 100,000 Kaiser members who donated their DNA, funding the work with a $25 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Biobanks aren’t new, and some, such as Great Britain’s UK Biobank, are larger. But the new biobank is still noteworthy, both for its ambitions and the challenges it will face. If you are thinking about joining a biobank or genetic research project, you’ll want to pay attention to what is happening with this one.
