Genetics | Penn Today

Microscopic images of cells are blue with diffuse splotches of pink on each cell.

Unlocking the female bias in lupus

The majority of lupus patients are female, and new findings from Montserrat Anguera of the School of Veterinary Medicine and colleagues shed light on why. The research suggests that female lupus patients don’t fully silence their second X chromosome in T cells, leading to an immune response gone awry.

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Western bias in human genetic studies is ‘both scientifically damaging and unfair’

In a commentary in the journal Cell, PIK Professor Sarah Tishkoff and Giorgio Sirugo shine a light on the lack of ethnic diversity represented in genomic studies, and the consequences for health and medicine.

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.

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.”

An H.I.V. cure: Answers to 4 key questions

HIV research coming out of Penn suggests that stem cell infusions may be an effective treatment for the disease.

Largest-ever Alzheimer’s gene study reveals five new genes that increase risk

The International Genomic Alzheimer’s Project analyzed information from more than 94,000 individuals and found new information on the underlying causes of Alzheimer disease, including five new genes that increase risk for the disease.

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The link between sleep, genes, and mental health

Whether you’re a night owl or a morning lark could affect your risk of developing a psychiatric disorder.

Has a second person with HIV been cured?

The Perelman School of Medicine’s Pablo Tebas spoke about his research, which used a zinc finger nucleases, a precursor to CRISPR, to modify white blood cells and reinfuse them into patients. While not a cure for HIV, combined with other methods, this approach “might be the way of the future,” said Tebas.

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A shared past for East Africa’s hunter-gatherers

PIK Professor Sarah Tishkoff, Laura Scheinfeldt, and Sameer Soi use data from 50 populations to study African genetic diversity. Their analysis suggests that geographically far-flung hunter-gatherer groups share a common ancestry.

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