by Brendan Maher, Nature, September 5, 2012.
ENCODE was designed to pick up where the Human Genome Project left off. Although that massive effort revealed the blueprint of human biology, it quickly became clear that the instruction manual for reading the blueprint was sketchy at best. Researchers could identify in its 3 billion letters many of the regions that code for proteins, but those make up little more than 1% of the genome, contained in around 20,000 genes — a few familiar objects in an otherwise stark and unrecognizable landscape. (http://tinyurl.com/8n2taop)
The results of the ENCODE project highlight just how little we really know about genetics. Regions of DNA classified as non-coding were discovered to contribute to a vast array of ‘epigenetic’ factors that regulate protein construction, cell fate, embryological development, and cancer, to name a few. ENCODE laid to rest commonly held assumptions in the field of genetics, including the notion that such non-coding segments are “junk DNA,” not serving an important function in gene expression.
by Amanda Fiegl, National Geographic, September 7, 2012.
The sight of a cockroach scuttling across the floor makes most of us shudder, but in a disaster, roaches might prove to be our new best friends. Cockroaches that are surgically transformed into remote-controlled ‘biobots’ could help locate earthquake survivors in hard-to-access areas. (http://tinyurl.com/9cumby4)
The news wires were abuzz about cyborg cockroaches. This creepy, crawling research project sought to control the movement of cockroaches by sending electrical impulses to their antennae, with the aim of using the cockroach cyborgs to investigate hard-to-reach locations, such as disaster sites.
by Susan Donaldson James, ABC News, September 24, 2012.
The pilot program that allows teens to access the contraceptive drug Plan B in 13 New York City schools — perhaps the first of its kind in the country — may be eventually implemented citywide. (http://tinyurl.com/b2nyoyl)
Several New York City schools have initiated a new program to decrease the incidence of teen pregnancy by providing emergency contraception to young women. Parents were sent a letter about this initiative and had the opportunity to opt out. The measure was enacted in a few New York schools last year, where 4.7 percent of the 12,000 girls received emergency contraception. This project prompted debate across the US because of both the controversial nature of the morning after pill and concerns about schools distributing prescription medication to minors.
by Anna Ringstrom, Reuters, October 8, 2012.
Scientists from Britain and Japan shared a Nobel Prize [in October] for the discovery that adult cells can be transformed back into embryo-like stem cells that may one day regrow tissue in damaged brains, hearts or other organs. (http://tinyurl.com/9ueurgn)
The Nobel Prize for medicine was awarded to John Gurdon, 79, of the Gurdon Institute in Cambridge, Britain and Shinya Yamanaka, 50, of Kyoto University in Japan for discovering how to convert adult tissue into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which behave similarly to embryonic stem cells. The creation of iPSCs has made headway in ethical stem cell research and has provided a solution to tissue rejection.
by Michelle Roberts, BBC, October 24, 2012.
US scientists say a human and animal trial of a controversial new IVF treatment has yielded promising results. The findings in Nature magazine show that healthy-looking embryos can be created from a mix of three adult donors. (http://tinyurl.com/96uvan8)
A new in vitro fertilization technique has shown promising results in monkey and human trials. Scientists were able to create viable embryos from three genetic donors. A female donor supplies the egg; the nucleus of the donor egg is removed and replaced with the nucleus from a second female’s (the mother’s) egg, giving the egg two female genetic contributors. This research may allow women with a mitochondrial genetic defect to produce a healthy baby by employing a donor egg with healthy mitochondria.
by Bonnie Rochman, Time, October 26, 2012.
In an ideal scenario, genetic analysis could save money by catching diseases early, offering targeted treatments and underscoring the most effective preventive measures. In the worst case, it could deluge an already swamped health care system, as patients with ambiguous results begin to seek frequent screenings — and potentially unnecessary procedures — for diseases they might never develop. (http://tinyurl.com/8fu7yj5)
Genetic testing is becoming faster, easier, and cheaper, which means that it is also becoming more accessible. However, many people are unsure what to do with the information. Genetic markers do not indicate disease inevitability, yet many people already respond to certain genetic markers by taking preventative measures or undergoing invasive procedures. Furthermore, many people are concerned about being disqualified for certain kinds of insurance due to the results of their genetic tests.
by Carolyn Johnson, Boston Globe, November 7, 2012.
A divisive ballot initiative that would allow terminally ill patients to end their lives with medication prescribed by physicians was narrowly defeated. (http://tinyurl.com/a9amfb6)
Massachusetts was one of several states that had physician-assisted suicide on the November ballot. The ballot measure was defeated, leaving Washington, Oregon, and Minnesota as the only states where physician-assisted suicide is legal. This ballot measure brought the discussion of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide back to the forefront in the media.
by Alok Jha, The Guardian, November 7, 2012.
Drugs and digital technologies that will allow people to work harder, longer and smarter are coming soon, say scientists and ethicists, so we need to decide now how best to ensure they are used properly. (http://tinyurl.com/aqorcjn)
A report authored by experts from the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the British Academy, and the Academy of Medical Sciences discussed the ethical considerations and concerns raised by enhancement technologies in the workplace. This report covered topics ranging from employees taking “smart drugs” to cybernetics and integration with computer technology. Of particular concern was the possibility of employers coercing employees to use enhancement technology.
by Tia Ghose, Huffington Post, November 10, 2012.
Identical twins may not be so identical after all. Even though identical twins supposedly share all of their DNA, they acquire hundreds of genetic changes early in development that could set them on different paths, according to new research. (http://tinyurl.com/afmrl86)
The predominant theory has been that identical twins share identical genomes, so if one twin develops a genetic disease, then the other twin usually should, too. However, it is often the case that one twin will develop a disease while the other will not. Now new findings show that identical twins may not have the same genetic make-up after all, calling into question years of studies of genetic (nature) versus environmental (nurture) or lifestyle causes for certain diseases.
by Kitty Holland and Paul Cullen, Irish Times, November 14, 2012.
Savita Halappanavar (31), a dentist, presented with back pain at the hospital on October 21st, was found to be miscarrying, and died of septicaemia a week later. (http://tinyurl.com/bm2b3sx)
Savita Halappanavar was denied an abortion throughout a painful, and ultimately fatal, three-day miscarriage at a hospital in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation of Ireland. Ireland’s law technically allows for abortions when the mother’s life is at stake, but the conditions under which this law applies are ambiguous, and doctors deemed to have applied it amiss face severe consequences. Halappanavar’s death forced Ireland to re-evaluate how it enforces abortion laws, and has been used around the globe as an example of the results of overly strict anti-abortion legislation.
by Katy Lee, AFP, November 14, 2012.
The world economy would be boosted by billions of dollars if all women had access to contraception, the United Nations said on Wednesday in its annual State of World Population report. (http://tinyurl.com/alavowj)
The United Nations’ State of World Population report indicates that inadequate access to family planning resources is a major contributing factor in poor health and poverty. Babatunde Osotimehin, executive director of the UN Population Fund, referred to family planning as a right and claimed that access to birth control would provide significant economic benefits, particularly for developing countries.
