Rare genetic variants unexpectedly common in humans
Rare genetic variants - those carried by fewer than five in 1,000 people - are much more common than previously thought, according to two studies published in Science...
A relatively common (present in more than 1% of the population) alternative version of a DNA sequence. Some variants are associated with particular traits and disorders, but many have no observable effect on appearance or health.
Rare genetic variants - those carried by fewer than five in 1,000 people - are much more common than previously thought, according to two studies published in Science...
by James Brooks
The emergence and spread of MRSA in the UK has been tracked thanks to genetic analysis of samples taken from infected patients over a 53-year period. The study, published in the journal PNAS, suggests that hospitals in large cities act as breeding grounds for new, increasingly resistant MRSA variants...
A link between modifications to a white blood cell gene and an increased risk of breast cancer could be the basis for a simple blood test to identify women most at risk of developing the disease...
by Helen Brooks
Two genes that influence brain size, and accordingly intelligence and possibly susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease, have been discovered by scientists...
Two new genetic variants that could increase the risk of childhood obesity have been identified in the largest ever genome-wide study of the disease...
Differences in the severity of people's flu symptoms may be due to a genetic variant, according to scientists...
A gene variant passed down from the mother has been linked to heavier newborns, according to scientists...
A genetic test could be used to spare breast cancer patients from having to undergo postoperative chemotherapy...
by James Brooks
Newspapers overcook mediocre science all the time. You know this, I know this. All the same, a story in the Sunday Times a couple of weeks ago deserves special mention for its utterly uncritical reporting...
by Dr Lamiya Mohiyiddeen and 1 others
IVF is a complex treatment for infertility requiring costly drugs and carrying significant risk of complications. Part of the procedure aims to stimulate the ovaries to produce more eggs, and conventional methods include a combination of hormones to induce follicle growth, from which eggs are collected...
BioNews, published by the Progress Educational Trust (PET), provides news and comment on genetics, assisted conception, embryo/stem cell research and related areas.