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NEWS ABOUT: genetic research

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Sex With Neanderthals Boosted Our Immunity

Scientists make 'stunning' discovery in genome comparison

(Newser) - Three years ago, scientists thought humans had never had sex with Neanderthals. Last year, they changed their tune—and now it looks like DNA passed down from Neanderthals has had a “profound impact” on our immune systems. Scientists compared a section of the modern human genome to the same... More »

Scientists Find 'Happiness Gene'

But they warn: Don't blame everything on biology

(Newser) - If you’re generally less than jubilant—or unfailingly cheerful—your biological makeup may play a role. Scientists have tracked down a gene whose variants appear to be linked to happiness, the Guardian reports. In a study of 2,500 Americans, those who had two long variants of the gene... More »

Stuttering Is in the Genes

It's physical, not psychological: researcher

(Newser) - Stuttering has long been considered a psychological issue, something born of anxiety or trauma—but new research suggests it’s in the genes, the Telegraph reports. “The brain actually looks different in people who stutter compared with those that don’t,” says a scientist. Certain gene variations often... More »

New DNA Test Reveals Children Born of Incest

...and it does so without needing mom or dad's DNA

(Newser) - Suspect your parents may have been related? Well, now you can find out behind their back, thanks to new advances in DNA testing, USA Today reports. In a study published yesterday, doctors revealed that they can now determine if a child is born of incest without testing the DNA of... More »

'Drunken' Gene Found

Gene variation causes people to get drunk faster, may stave off alcoholism

(Newser) - A "drunken" gene—or, some might say, a "lightweight" gene—has been discovered by researchers probing the causes of alcoholism. Some 20% of people have a version of the gene CYP2E1 that causes them to get drunk much faster than others. The researchers say these people are less... More »

Lack of Sunshine Linked to MS, Arthritis

Vitamin D affects 229 disease-linked genes

(Newser) - A lack of sunshine makes people more likely to contract diseases including arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Type 1 diabetes, and some cancers, according to scientists exploring the genetic link between disease and low levels of vitamin D. Genetic researchers found that the vitamin—which the body makes when the skin is... More »

Scotland's Bad Weather Means More Redheads

Cloudier climes allowed trait to gain in population

(Newser) - The cooler, cloudier climes for northern Europe make for more redheads—particularly in Scotland and Ireland, a researcher says. About 8% of Scots sport a ginger mane, to less than 2% of all Europeans. The theory, Emily Pritchard tells the Times of London, is that genetic traits that allow sun-unfriendly... More »

Rights to Human Gene Patents Go on Trial

Do patents on breast, ovarian cancer genes, retard new research?

(Newser) - A Manhattan judge yesterday heard arguments on whether human genes should be covered by patents. A company called Myriad Genetics is being sued over its patents on two genes linked to an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer—BRCA1 and BRCA2. The suit alleges that women's health is harmed... More »

Study of Obsessive Dogs Turns up OCD Gene

Study sheds light on OCD cause in both humans and dogs

(Newser) - Dogs that engage in compulsive behavior like tail-chasing and blanket sucking share a genetic variation, according to new research. The researchers believe the study of Doberman pinschers—a breed especially vulnerable to canine OCD—sheds new light on the causes of the disorder in both humans and animals, the New ... More »

HIV Genome Decoded, Raising Hopes for Treatment

(Newser) - The entire structure of the virus that causes AIDS has been decoded for the first time, a breakthrough that may eventually lead to effective treatments for the disease and others like it, Reuters reports. University of North Carolina researchers, using a new method they liken to zooming out on a... More »

Scientists Retract Paper Touting Sperm From Stem Cells

But say attribution, not science itself, at issue

(Newser) - A paper by British scientists on the creation of synthetic human sperm had to be retracted from the journal Stem Cell and Development, AFP reports. The paper, which reported the revolutionary creation of sperm from stem cells, included text written by another scientist, who was not credited. The retraction is... More »

New Gene May Predict Onset of Alzheimer's

(Newser) - A newly unveiled gene linked to Alzheimer's disease could help determine when symptoms of the brain disorder will arise, the News & Observer reports. A team of Duke University scientists announced their finding today at a Vienna conference. “As soon as people start forgetting things, they want to... More »

Subtle Sweet Tooth May Keep Brits, French Alive

(Newser) - If Marie Antoinette really said "Let them eat cake," she probably knew the French wouldn't bite. Along with the British and other Europeans, the French have developed genetic variants that make them more sensitive to sweetness in food, a new study says. Africans, on the other hand,... More »

Fungus Poised to Kill Off World's Wheat

US scientists race to find plants resistant to the Ug99 fungus

(Newser) - A rust-colored fungus could destroy 80% of the world's wheat crops in a few years unless scientists counter it with genetically resistant strains, the Los Angeles Times reports. The Ug99 fungus—an ancient wheat-killer that rose up again in Africa 10 years ago—is already threatening 19% of the world's... More »

Down Syndrome Gene Holds Cancer Clue

Downs patients long seen to have lower deadly tumor risk

(Newser) - Scientists have noticed for years that Down syndrome patients are far less likely to die from solid tumors—and now, scientists in Boston think they know why. Down syndrome patients’ extra chromosome holds a gene that helps cut blood flow to tumors, restricting their growth, the Globe reports. “Individuals... More »

Heart and Gum Disease Linked by Gene: Study

Periodontitis patients should cut out risk factors, scientists say

(Newser) - Scientists have identified a link between gum disease and heart disease, the BBC reports, finding the same genetic variation in a group of patients with heart disease and a group with severe periodontitis. “Now we know for sure that there is a strong genetic link, patients with periodontitis should... More »

Suit Challenges Patenting of Cancer Genes

(Newser) - A group of breast cancer and ovarian cancer patients has filed suit against the Patent Office for allowing a company to patent two human genes, the Courthouse News Service reports. The plaintiffs, who also include medical organizations and the ACLU, allege that Myriad Genetics' patents on the BRCA1 and BRCA2... More »

Scientists Bet There's a Gambling Gene

Study suggests genetics behind taking money risks

(Newser) - Genetics might be behind your betting habits, researchers have found. People with a “short” type of a certain gene were more likely to take risks than those with the “long” type, the Daily Telegraph reports. In a study, 30 volunteers were, for example, given cash and allowed to... More »

Got a Temper? Blame Your Genes

(Newser) - Why some people get steamed while others stay cool depends on which version of a certain gene they carry, the Daily Telegraph reports. German scientists isolated a gene that affects dopamine levels. In a study, people with the least common variation showed little anger. Those with the other two mutations... More »

Africans Have World's Greatest Genetic Diversity

Landmark study tracks modern humanity's origins to area in South Africa

(Newser) - The people of Africa have by far the world's most diverse genes, says a new study that sheds light on humanity's origins. Researchers—who traveled deep into remote areas of Africa to study more than a hundred populations—have pinpointed the origin of modern humans to an area near the... More »

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