Over the last couple of decades, biologists have honed their tools for deleting, replacing or otherwise editing DNA. Now, a strategy called CRISPR has quickly become one of the most popular ways to do genome engineering. The discovery of CRISPR promises to significantly accelerate genetic research, with long-term implications that are very promising, but also potentially risky.
For many, healthcare is a complicated, frustrating and expensive maze. Time with physicians is carefully metered out, and often the road to a conclusive diagnosis and a successful treatment seems unnecessarily lengthy and costly. In his new book, The Patient Will See You Now, Eric Topol, a distinguished cardiologist, presents a new vision of healthcare that is both more effective and more democratized.
Nutrigenomics combines the study of nutrition and genetics to discover the different ways people respond to food based on their genetic make-up. The goal for nutrigenomic scientists is to unravel this complex interaction so that tailored diets can be developed which complement a person’s unique genetic profile. In this interview, Dr. Pauline Gee, an expert in the field, discusses the science behind nutrigenomics and how we can use it to improve our health.
Scientists have long known that much of the DNA in our genome does not appear to code for proteins. In fact, up to 98% or our DNA is non-coding. For this reason, the study of this part of the human genome was ignored. Today, researchers are discovering that this so-called “junk DNA” plays a critical role in the regulation of our genes and may hold the key to understanding and curing diseases like breast cancer.
For years, we have thought that DNA is an unalterable template that governs our health. Now we are learning that there is another layer – referred to as the epigenome – that we have much greater control over. Studies hint that how we eat, live and process stress may have a direct impact on how well our genome works. Is this beginning of a revolutionary new era in medicine?
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