Genetics

Storing babies' blood samples pits privacy versus science

Two-day-old Ellie Bailey squirms in a hospital bassinet and cries as her tiny left heel is squeezed and then pricked with a needle to draw a blood sample. An Indianapolis hospital technician quickly saturates six circles ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Prevention of sickle cell disease progression in adult mice

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by abnormal hemoglobin, which alters the shape of red blood cells, resulting in poor blood flow and eventual death. In developed countries, the survival rate in children with SCD ...

Health

Trust is key to boosting diversity in genetics research 

Gene therapies could one day offer life-saving treatments for diabetes, cancer, sickle cell disease and other illnesses that disproportionately affect ethnic minorities, yet many black Americans have profound reason to be ...

Genetics

Scientists discover important genetic source of human diversity

Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute report that humans have a surprisingly high number of genes in which one of two copies has been randomly silenced. They suggest that the phenomenon is ...

Health

Blood donors needed after East Coast storm: Red Cross

(HealthDay)—Jonas, the massive snowstorm that hammered the East Coast, has led to a shortage of blood products and there is an emergency need for both blood and platelet donors, the American Red Cross said Tuesday.

Genetics

NIH announces $240 million project to map human genomes

The federal government is funding a monumental project to map 200,000 human genomes in an effort to understand the genetic causes of common diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, epilepsy and autism.

Medical research

Pediatric sickle cell study stopped early due to positive results

A national sickle cell disease study involving Medical University of South Carolina researchers found that for some children with sickle cell disease, the drug hydroxyurea is as effective as blood transfusions to reduce blood ...

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