10.26
Genetics
Away from the lab bench, Khoa Tran is a ‘science superhero’
Away from the lab bench, Khoa Tran is a ‘science superhero’
The research fellow in the Berger Lab and co-founder of JKX Comics makes science and STEM disciplines more accessible by translating abstruse concepts into approachable comics.
Progress toward a treatment for Krabbe disease
Progress toward a treatment for Krabbe disease
The inherited disease, which typically kills children before their second birthday, has no cure, but a School of Veterinary Medicine study in a canine model offers hope for an effective gene therapy with lasting results.
New genetic cause of an inherited neuropathy discovered
New genetic cause of an inherited neuropathy discovered
A discovery by Penn researchers in siblings may hold answers to new gene therapies for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.
Rare genetic mutation leaves people at higher risk for multiple cancers
Rare genetic mutation leaves people at higher risk for multiple cancers
Researchers find a new and previously undiscovered mutation in a particular gene associated with a higher risk of multiple kinds of cancer, and can lead to modified screenings for this particular gene protein.
Researchers identify novel genetic variants linked to Type 2 diabetes
Researchers identify novel genetic variants linked to Type 2 diabetes
Largest-ever study of its kind finds variants that may predispose some people to develop the disease and related conditions like coronary heart disease and chronic kidney disease.
Parasites and the microbiome
Parasites and the microbiome
In a study of ethnically diverse people from Cameroon, the presence of a parasite infection was closely linked to the make-up of the gastrointestinal microbiome, according to a research team led by Penn scientists.
DNA misfolding in white blood cells increases risk for Type 1 diabetes
DNA misfolding in white blood cells increases risk for Type 1 diabetes
A new Penn Medicine study shows that changes in a DNA sequence may cause chromosomes to misfold in a way that elevates the risk for autoimmune diseases.
How our ‘birth environment’ can influence our health
How our ‘birth environment’ can influence our health
Mary Regina Boland studies how one’s “birth environment,” or the factors that a mother experienced while pregnant, affects health risks later in life, and what can actually be predicted while still in the womb.
Three Penn faculty named 2020 Sloan Research Fellows
Three Penn faculty named 2020 Sloan Research Fellows
Engineer Liang Feng, neuroscientist Erica Korb, and statistician Weijie Su each received the competitive and prestigious award honoring early-career researchers.
Do DIY DNA kits revive a harmful perceived link between genetics and race?
Do DIY DNA kits revive a harmful perceived link between genetics and race?
Research from sociologist Wendy Roth reveals that on average, these tests don’t reinforce the idea of essentialism, but how much participants know about genetics going in matters.
In the News
Slate.com
Does a pie chart change who you are?
Wendy Roth of the School of Arts & Sciences conducted a study that found that people who take consumer DNA tests interpret the results differently according to their existing knowledge of genetics. “The way people interpret scientific evidence is not neutral,” she said.
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Forward.com
How genetics paint a picture of the Jewish past
Steven Weitzman of the School of Arts and Sciences commented on efforts to study Jewish genetics. While the research is “fascinating,” he acknowledges that it may make some uncomfortable. “There’s a lot of resistance to [genetic research] within the field of Jewish studies,” Weitzman said. “A lot of people remember or have in mind the role of race science in Nazism. So the idea that Jewish scholars would look in any way to genetics to understand Jewish identity or Jewish history and origins can make people concerned.”
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Huffington Post
A DNA test revealed this man is 4% black. Now he wants to abolish affirmative action
Wendy Roth of the School of Arts and Sciences spoke about DNA testing and its intersection with culture and identity. “Right now I don’t think that [companies selling at-home genealogy kits] are generally doing a good enough job of explaining how these tests should be interpreted and what the limitations are and what some potential negative impacts could be,” she said.
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Science
As gene testing surges, lawsuits aren’t far behind
Reed Pyeritz of the Perelman School of Medicine co-published a policy statement suggesting that doctors do their best to recontact patients if the interpretation of a genetic test’s results evolves over time.
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PBS NewsHour
Genetic research has a white bias, and it may be hurting everyone’s health
PIK Professor Sarah Tishkoff and Giorgio Sirugo of the Perelman School of Medicine collaborated on a paper that concluded that predominately European genetic databases may lead to difficulties treating people from other racial backgrounds. “If we don’t include ethnically diverse populations, we are potentially going to be exacerbating health inequalities,” said Tishkoff.
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Wired.co.uk
Genetic research is the wrong way to make sense of ADHD
Jason Schnittker of the School of Arts and Sciences said that linking mental illness to genetics won’t do much to reduce stigma. Instead, he proposed, “it would help to show that mental illnesses are common, even if they’re not diagnosed, and while they can be severe, they can be managed effectively.”
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