genetic testing

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Gene Test May Rewrite Breast Cancer Screening

Mouth swab will offer more precise measure

(Newser) - Scientists say they will soon be able to take a simple mouth swab from women to better determine their risk of breast cancer, the Guardian reports. Researchers at Cambridge University have zeroed in on several genetic variants—with more to come—that offer a far more precise measure of a...

Genetic Test Reveals Your Body Clock

Simple mouth swab can separate the larks from the owls

(Newser) - A simple mouth swab can tell scientists who's naturally meant to get up early and could forever free people who like a morning snooze from accusations of laziness, the Daily Telegraph reports. The newly developed test reveals the activity of the genes that regulate a person's body clock and identifies...

Genes ID Best Patients for Colon Cancer Drug

Step toward 'holy grail' of personalized cancer battle

(Newser) - Researchers have taken a giant step toward the "holy grail" of personalized cancer treatment—by using genetic profiling to accurately target chemotherapy, Reuters reports. A new genetic test of colon cancer tumors is able to predict with accuracy whether a patient will respond to treatment with the drug Erbitux,...

Soccer Scouts Look Into Genetic Testing

DNA tests could reveal if player has power to bend it like Beckham

(Newser) - Scouts for the world's leading soccer teams spend millions every year trying to spot the next Ronaldo or David Beckham but they could soon be turning their attention to genetic tests as well as training grounds. DNA tests that identify genes associated with top athletic ability are already being marketed...

Senate Passes Bill Banning Genetic Bias

Law, approved 95-0, would protect people with hereditary risks

(Newser) - The Senate unanimously approved a bill today banning discrimination by employers and health insurers based on the results of genetic tests, the Los Angeles Times reports. Senators hope the measure will encourage testing for those who have abstained out of fear of professional or financial repercussions. The bill is expected...

Scientists Discover New Diabetes Genes

Six variants each add risk for developing the disease

(Newser) - Scientists pooling data from European and US studies have identified six more genes associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, the Guardian reports. The study, published in Nature Genetics, found small but significant connections between the genes and the disease, with certain genetic variants linked to a 10-15%...

Millionaire Pays Firm to Map His Genetic Code

Personal genome readouts now on shopping list for super-rich

(Newser) - A Switzerland-based millionaire is paying to have his personal genetic code mapped out, the New York Times reports. He is only the second person to ever have done so, but genetics companies say interest is high despite the $350,000 price tag for decoding all 6 billion units in an...

New Tech Identifies Rare DNA Disorders

Services link families whose kids were once labeled autistic

(Newser) - New procedures that scan all 46 human chromosomes are helping doctors classify disorders once lumped together as "developmentally delayed" or "autistic"—and helping parents connect to families whose children also have uncommon conditions. The New York Times looks at the lives of parents isolated by their experience...

Study: Many Can Safely Skip Chemo for Breast Cancer

Gene test predicts risk of recurrence

(Newser) - Thousands of breast cancer patients could be spared the misery and expense of chemotherapy, or at least get a milder regimen than what's usually prescribed, according to a new study. A new genetic test that predicts women's risk of recurrence shows that up to 40% of patients with early stage...

DIY Gene Test: Get Results in the Mail

New home exam lets users swab cheeks, send away for info

(Newser) - A new British company has developed a home DNA test that determines whether customers are genetically predisposed to ailments such as breast cancer, heart disease, obesity, and osteoporosis. Users scrape a cheek with a swab, sign a special waiver if they want to know results even for incurable diseases, such...

Taxol Found Ineffective in Many Breast Cancers

Some women could be spared side effects

(Newser) - A widely prescribed chemotherapy drug isn't effective against the kind of breast cancer it's most commonly used to treat, new research has found. While Taxol worked well for women with overactive HER-2 genes, it didn't significantly help women with the most common form of the disease in which tumors are...

Gay Brothers Studied for Clues to Sexual Preference

DNA from 1,000 pairs analyzed for linkages

(Newser) - A team of Chicago-based scientists is conducting a large-scale study of gay brothers to learn more about the genetic factors involved in sexual orientation. Similar studies have been too small to be conclusive; this time, scientists recruited 1,000 pairs—10 times the size of previous studies— to contribute DNA...

Colon Cancer Gene Tagged
Colon Cancer Gene Tagged
Jul 9, 2007 5:23 AM CDT

Colon Cancer Gene Tagged

But the risk isn't significant enough for testing, say researchers

(Newser) - Two studies have linked a specific genetic variant to an increased risk of  colon cancer, the BBC reports. About half the population has the permutation, which was linked to a 20% increased risk of developing colon cancer and accounts for 1 of  ten cases. But the risk isn't significant enough...

Embryos Screened for Cancer Risk
Embryos Screened for Cancer Risk
Apr 26, 2007 10:57 AM CDT

Embryos Screened for Cancer Risk

Targeting breast cancer gene raises fears of "designer babies"

(Newser) - The British government is poised to OK a procedure that screens embryos for genes that greatly increase the risk—but do not necessarily cause—breast cancer. Two couples with strong family histories of the disease are expected to pioneer the technique, already approved in principle, and crank up the debate...

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