At birth, a child can inherit mutations of the mitochondria from his or her mother. Some women are genetically predisposed to pass on these mutations, giving rise to potentially fatal disorders that affect organs with high energy demand, like the heart and brain. A new gene therapy technique offers treatment for this problematic inheritance using…
Tag: genes
Drug Restores Hair Growth in Patients
Drug Restores Hair Growth in Patients with Alopecia Areata Clinical trial results suggest that JAK inhibitor may be first effective treatment for people with an autoimmune type of hair loss NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 22, 2016—Seventy-five percent of patients with moderate to severe alopecia areata—an autoimmune disease that causes patchy and, less frequently, total hair…
Swedish Scientist Seeks To Edit DNA Of Healthy Human Embryos
Breaking Taboo, Swedish Scientist Seeks To Edit DNA Of Healthy Human Embryos A scientist in Sweden has started trying to edit the DNA in healthy human embryos, NPR has learned. The step by the developmental biologist Fredrik Lanner makes him the first researcher known to attempt to modify the genes of healthy human embryos. That…
Mixed messages from Genetically Engineered Crops Study
According to new research from University of Virginia economist Federico Ciliberto, widespread adoption of genetically modified crops has decreased the use of insecticides, but increased the use of weed-killing herbicides as weeds become more resistant. So while less corn-munching critters are present, more chemicals are used to kill the weeds around the crops, chemicals which…
Study results advance ‘transposon theory of aging’
A new study increases and strengthens the links that have led scientists to propose the “transposon theory of aging.” Transposons are rogue elements of DNA that break free in aging cells and rewrite themselves elsewhere in the genome, potentially creating lifespan-shortening chaos in the genetic makeups of tissues. As cells get older, prior studies have…
The Unintended Consequence of Congress’s Ban on Designer Babies
Congress is the opposite of Progress. With the approval rating of just 11%, the US Congress once again proves that it is the definitive engine of slowing down progress, perhaps second only to the FDA. While certain amount of caution when it comes to new medication and gene therapy is warranted, stifling medical progress on…