A new model of aging takes into account not only genetics and environmental exposures but also the tiny changes that randomly arise at the cellular level. University Professor Caleb Finch introduced the "Tripartite Phenotype of Aging" as a new conceptual model that addresses why lifespan varies so much, even among human identical twins who share […]
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Type 2 Diabetes Linked to Increased Risk for Parkinson’s
New analyses of both observational and genetic data have provided “convincing evidence” that type 2 diabetes is associated with an increased risk for Parkinson’s disease. Dr Alastair Noyce “The fact that we see the same effects in both types of analysis separately makes it more likely that these results are real — that type 2 […]
Symptoms of Anxiety
Anxiety disorders are mainly characterized by an unnecessary worry, distress and tension. This may lead to disturbances in concentration, sleep and regular social and work related functioning. Symptoms vary from person to person and generally develop slowly. The symptoms may be physical or psychological. (1, 2, 3, 4) Primary symptoms The primary symptom is usually […]
The genetics of side-effects
Henk-Jan Guchelaar knows all too well the serious problems that the side-effects of medication can cause. As a professor of clinical pharmacy at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, he has spent the last two decades trying to get the link between medicine and our genes recognised more widely. The stories he hears from […]
Genetics and the COVID-19 pandemic
With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging worldwide, members of the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) are working to understand how the virus spreads and infects people, why there is so much variability in susceptibility and severity, and where to look for potential therapeutics. Researchers presented the results of several studies relevant to the current […]
Genetics could explain how traumatic events affect people’s health
Facing the death of a loved one, being given a life-threatening diagnosis, or living through a natural disaster is difficult enough. But those who get through these traumatic life events often face further ill effects. Someone’s chances of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety all increase after being exposed to significant stressors. And […]
23andMe and breast cancer gene testing: What you should know
You may be familiar with 23andMe and other at-home genetic test services, which can trace ancestry to a specific group of people that lived over 1,000 years ago, build out your family tree and connect you to distant relatives. But what many don’t know is that the services can also provide a report on the types […]
Pluripotency: ‘Butterfly effect’ discovered: Single change at telomeres controls the ability of cells to generate a complete organism
Pluripotent cells can give rise to all cells of the body, a power that researchers are eager to control because it opens the door to regenerative medicine and organ culture for transplants. But pluripotency is still a black box for science, controlled by unknown genetic (expression of genes) and epigenetic signals (biochemical marks that control […]
New biologically derived metal-organic framework mimics DNA
The field of materials science has become abuzz with “metal-organic frameworks” (MOFs), versatile compounds made up of metal ions connected to organic ligands, thus forming one-, two-, or three-dimensional structures. There is now an ever-growing list of applications for MOF, including separating petrochemicals, detoxing water from heavy metals and fluoride anions, and recovering hydrogen or […]
Effects on offspring of epigenetic inheritance via sperm
As an organism grows and responds to its environment, genes in its cells are constantly turning on and off, with different patterns of gene expression in different cells. But can changes in gene expression be passed on from parents to their children and subsequent generations? Although indirect evidence for this phenomenon, called “transgenerational epigenetic inheritance,” […]