Aug
31
2009
New genetic research may explain why Fluffy is so fluffy.
A study led by researchers at the National Human Genome Research Institute scanned 1,000 dogs from 80 breeds, looking for genes associated with different hair types: curly, wavy, straight, wiry, long and any combination of these. Their results, published online last week in Science, show that [...]
Tags: dogs, keratin, NHGRI, Ostrander, Science Express
Aug
26
2009
A new report in the Journal of the American Medical Association adds to the mounting evidence that genetic variations impact the efficacy of clopidogrel (Plavix®), a drug used to prevent blood clots in people who have had a heart attack or stroke and also those with peripheral artery disease and unstable angina.
Previous research has shown [...]
Tags: angina, clopidogrel, clotting, heart attack, JAMA, peripheral artery disease, Plavix, stroke
Aug
25
2009
A new genetic screening process has helped researchers understand the genetic causes of cancer, such as how mutations accumulated in a person’s life can cause leukemia.
The study shows that by comparing a person’s own DNA to that of their cancerous cells, researchers can find DNA mutations that may have led to abnormal cell growth, or [...]
Tags: acute myeloid, cancer, leukemia, mutation, NEJM, personalized medicine
Aug
24
2009
Nearly a year ago today, the Spittoon reported that researchers had figured out how to pick a known person’s DNA out of a database containing genetic information for up to 200 unidentified individuals. The feat made it possible to determine, for example, if a particular suspect’s DNA was present in a mix of several peoples’ [...]
Aug
20
2009
SNPwatch gives you the latest news about research linking various traits and conditions to individual genetic variations. These studies are exciting because they offer a glimpse into how genetics may affect our bodies and health; but in most cases, more work is needed before this research can provide information of value to individuals. For that [...]
Tags: ALL, ARID5B, IKZF1, leukemia, methotrexate, Nature Genetics
Aug
18
2009
SNPwatch gives you the latest news about research linking various traits and conditions to individual genetic variations. These studies are exciting because they offer a glimpse into how genetics may affect our bodies and health; but in most cases, more work is needed before this research can provide information of value to individuals. For that [...]
Tags: AIDS, CCR5, HIV resistance
Aug
17
2009
SNPwatch gives you the latest news about research linking various traits and conditions to individual genetic variations. These studies are exciting because they offer a glimpse into how genetics may affect our bodies and health; but in most cases, more work is needed before this research can provide information of value to individuals. For that [...]
Tags: hepatitis C, interferon, Nature, ribavirin
Aug
13
2009
SNPwatch gives you the latest news about research linking various traits and conditions to individual genetic variations. These studies are exciting because they offer a glimpse into how genetics may affect our bodies and health; but in most cases, more work is needed before this research can provide information of value to individuals. For that [...]
Tags: emotional, morphine, opioid receptor, pain, physical, PNAS, rejection, UCLA
Aug
12
2009
The Rexes and Spots of the world have been man’s best friend for 15,000 years. But when and where did humans begin domesticating these furry companions?
Previous theories suggested that the domesticated dog originated in East Asia and then spread to Africa, Oceania and the Americas. But a recent study by Cornell University researchers has found [...]
Aug
11
2009
Redheads might have a better excuse than the rest of us for avoiding the dentist.
For several years now scientists have known that the same genetic variations that give redheads their fiery manes can increase the amount of general or local anesthetic a person needs in order to be properly put out or numbed up.
New research [...]
Tags: dentistry, MC1R, pain, red hair