What Advances are Being Made in DNA Sequencing?
Determining the order of DNA building blocks (nucleotides) in anindividual's genetic code, called DNA sequencing, has advanced the study of genetics and is one method used to test for genetic disorders.
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What are the Benefits of Genetic Testing?
Genetic testing has potential benefits whether the results are positive
or negative for a gene mutation. Test results can provide a sense of
relief from uncertainty and help people make informed decisions about
managing their health care.
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What is Genetic Discrimination?
Genetic discrimination occurs when people are treated differently by
their employer or insurance company because they have a gene mutation
that causes or increases the risk of an inherited disorder.
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What is Gene Therapy?
Gene therapy is an experimental technique that uses genes to treator prevent disease. In the future, this technique may allow doctors totreat a disorder by inserting a gene into a patient's cells instead ofusing drugs or surgery.
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Is Gene Therapy Safe?
Gene therapy is under study to determine whether it could be used to
treat disease. Current research is evaluating the safety of gene
therapy; future studies will test whether it is an effective treatment
option.
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What are the Next Steps in Genomic Research?
Discovering the sequence of the human genome was only the first step in
understanding how the instructions coded in DNA lead to a functioning
human being. The next stage of genomic research will begin to derive
meaningful knowledge from the DNA sequence.
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What are Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs)?
Single nucleotide polymorphisms, frequently called SNPs (pronounced'snips'), are the most common type of genetic variation among people.Each SNP represents a difference in a single DNA building block, called a nucleotide.
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Mitochondrial Diseases in Children a Thing of the Past?
Researchers from the NYSCF (New York Stem Cell Foundation) partnered with CUMC (Columbia Medical Center) to create a special technique to stop mitochondrial diseases from genetically passing on to children. The technique is in the earliest clinical stages.
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Geneticist Sequences Unborn Son’s Entire Genome, Just for Fun
From the moment he knew he was going to be a father, Khan wanted to sequence his baby’s DNA to know more about his genetic makeup.
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What Would You Do If Genetic Testing Revealed Future Illness?
What would you do if genetic testing revealed future catastrophic illness for yourself or a child? Would you want to know?
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Babies Leave Genetic Souvenirs in Mom's Body
A recent study from the Netherlands found Y-chromosomes, from baby boys, in every tissue sample they tested from the babys’ mothers.
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What is Pharmacogenomics?
This relatively new field combines pharmacology (the science of drugs)and genomics (the study of genes and their functions) to developeffective, safe medications and doses that will be tailored to aperson's genetic makeup.
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Fetal DNA Pulled from Mom’s Blood
According to a study published in the journal Nature, mom's blood may hold the key to DNA and genetic testing. This study could be the first step in making genetic testing a part of prenatal care for all women.
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UK Invites Public Comments on Proposed Three-Person IVF Law
The United Kingdom is deciding whether or not to add legal provisions to national law that will allow a new form of in vitro fertilization (IVF) to become a standard option for infertility treatments.
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What Is A Gene Mutation and How Do They Happen?
How does a gene mutation happen? Are gene mutations rare?
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DNA Methylation and Spontaneous Abortion After ART
At the Center for Reproductive Medicine at Nanfang Hospital in the
People's Republic of China, researchers believed there was a possible
link between assisted reproductive technology (ART) and spontaneous
abortion caused by improper DNA methylation.
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Male DNA Found in Female Brains
When a woman becomes pregnant with a male child some of his DNA is left behind in her brain. Researchers call this microchimerism.
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Emerging 3-Parent IVF May be Harmful to Baby
About one person in every 4,000 is affected with a mitochondrialdisease, passed down through the mother's bloodline. Symptoms, including minor learning disabilities, can be mild but they can be tragicallysevere, too.
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Dad’s Biological Clock Just as Important as Mom’s
A major study that compared the psychiatric health and academicachievement of siblings gives strong support to the theory that dad'sbiological clock exists and may be just as important as mom's.
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Healthy DNA Delay Menopause Extend Fertile Years
An extensive international study found that how the body handles DNA repair throughout a lifetime affects the timing of fertility decline and the onset of menopause.
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What is the Cost and How Long is the Genetic Testing?
The cost of genetic testing can range from under $100 to more than $2,000, depending on the nature and complexity of the test.
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1 in 6 Kids Suffers Neurodevelopmental Disorder
One in six American children suffers from a neurodevelopmental
disorder, including but not limited to, attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorders ASD), or delays in speech and language.
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Can Changes in Chromosomes Affect Health and Development?
Human cells normally contain 23 pairs of chromosomes, for a total of 46chromosomes in each cell. A change in the number of chromosomes can cause problems with growth, development, and function of the body's systems.
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Should Newborn Screening Protocols Include Genome Sequencing?
Researchers at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, question the value of including genome sequencing to the standard regimen of tests given to newborn babies.
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Third-Hand Smoke: DNA Damage Risk for Infants and Toddlers
Third-hand smoke, the gunk that settles on floors, furniture, draperies, and even kids' toys, has the potential to damage DNA.
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Genetic Testing to Prevent Fatal Brain Disease in Children
A 27-year-old woman wanted to have children but she did not want her children to live as she does, knowing she is genetically inclined to develop a very rare crippling brain disease.
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Effects of Steroids on Genome Expression of Preterm Infants
Steroids are prescribed to some women during pregnancy to treat potential preterm delivery. Researchers from the University of Oslo in Norway recently published a
study spanning two years on the possible short and long-term side effects on genome expression.
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Cervicovaginal Microbiota Predicts Preterm Birth Risks
Researchers in Philadelphia report they may have found a way to pinpoint the risk of preterm delivery as early as the second trimester.
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Blood Test for Pregnant Women Shows RNA Activity in Fetus
Researchers at Stanford University in California have developed a test that uses a small sample of a pregnant woman's blood to monitor the RNA activity of a fetus throughout pregnancy.
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How Mitochondrial DNA Affects Health and Development
Mitochondria are structures within cells that convert the energy from food into a form that cells can use. Although most DNA is packaged in chromosomes within the nucleus, mitochondria also have a small amount of their own DNA.
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What Do Statistics Reveal About Genetic Conditions?
Statistical data can provide general information about how common a condition is, how many people have the condition, or how likely it is that a person will develop the condition. Statistics are not personalized, however, they offer estimates based on groups of people.
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The Effect of Cryopreservation on Sperm
The process of cryopreservation allows human sperm carrying DNA to be frozen in time until the sperm is ready for use. Protecting the integrity of sperm and DNA is important to the success of fertility treatments.
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Common Genetic Conditions Due to Ethnicity
Some genetic disorders are more likely to occur among people who trace their ancestry to a particular geographic area. People in an ethnic group often share certain versions of their genes, which have been passed down from common ancestors.
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Reversing Damaged Eggs Due to Cancer Treatments
Researchers at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, have found a way to reverse the damage done to the immature eggs (oocytes) of female mice exposed to radiation.
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Can Number of Genes Affect Health and Development?
People have two copies of most genes, one copy inherited from each parent. In some cases, however, the number of copies varies'meaning that a person can be born with one, three, or more copies of particular genes.
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How Chromosome Structure Affects Health and Development
Changes that affect the structure of chromosomes can cause problems with growth, development, and function of the body's systems. These changes can affect many genes along the chromosome and disrupt the proteins made from those genes.
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How Do Genes Direct the Production of Proteins?
Most genes contain the information needed to make functional molecules called proteins. (A few genes produce other molecules that help the cell assemble proteins.) The journey from gene to protein is complex and tightly controlled within each cell.
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How Is a Genetic Condition Inherited?
Some genetic conditions are caused by mutations in a single gene. These conditions are usually inherited in one of several straightforward patterns, depending on the gene involved.
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The Likelihood of Genetic Disorders
When a genetic disorder is diagnosed in a family, family members often want to know the likelihood that they or their children will develop the condition.
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What Was the Human Genome Project?
The Human Genome Project was an international research effort to determine the sequence of the human genome and identify the genes that it contains. The Project was coordinated by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Energy.
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Human Genome Project: Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications
The Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) program was founded in 1990 as an integral part of the Human Genome Project.
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Possible Treatment Breakthrough: Fragile X Syndrome
Previous medical research has pinpointed the part of the cell affected by FXS but a new study reveals how the problem occurs.
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Customizing Genes Through Designer Sperm
Scientists have brought us a step closer to stopping genetic diseases before they pass from one generation to the next.
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Prenatal Testing for Down Syndrome
Around 11-13 weeks of the pregnancy, screening for Down syndrome is usually offered to all pregnant women. The test is known as the "first trimester screen" or nuchal translucency test.
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Where Can I Get DNA Paternity Testing?
There are two methods of DNA paternity testing - the doctor initiated paternity test and the home paternity test.
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How Much Does Paternity Testing Cost?
The cost of the paternity test will vary depending on the state where the test is run and the situation surrounding the paternity test.
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How Accurate is Paternity Testing?
Paternity testing is used to establish the biological paternal parent of a child. The paternity testing, like any other test, is close to 100% accurate but not completely 100%.
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Low Sperm Count
Can low sperm count be improved? One study says yes!
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Can a Paternity Test be Faked?
There are very few ways for a paternity test to be faked. If the blood or saliva is taken at the DNA testing facility, the results will be accurate.
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Children Born to Guys Over 40 May Live Longer Lives
It appears that the children and grandchildren of men who become fathers between the late 30s and early 50s live longer lives than children born to younger dads.
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