An easier way to edit genes, called CRISPR-Cas9, is revolutionizing biomedical research. But as patents and big prizes hover, some contributors to the discovery aren't getting much credit.
Scientists are finally beginning to understand proprioception, a sense that tells us where our body is in space. Much of what they've learned comes from two girls with a rare genetic disorder.
People with a rare genetic disorder that causes severe nosebleeds did better when they used saline nose spray. And that remedy should also help people with plain old nosebleeds.
A genetic test of breast cancer tumors helped identify women whose survival odds would not be greatly improved by chemotherapy. But that test isn't as precise as women and doctors might like.
Some genetic tests for a common cause of sudden heart failure can be wrong, researchers say, because the underlying science didn't take into account racial diversity.
A technology known as a gene drive might be deployed to re-engineer species and stop diseases like malaria. But a scientific advisory panel says research and use should proceed with great caution.
Most genetic studies look only at people of European descent. But black and Hispanic children are far more likely to die of asthma, and genetic differences may help explain why.
A website that helps connect families of kids who have extremely rare genetic diseases with scientists — and with other families — is turning up new diagnoses, support and avenues of treatment.
A synthetic version of the human genetic blueprint might used for a wide range of medical research, scientists say. But it's far from reality, and comes with big ethical and safety questions.
Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee says genetics play a significant role in identity, temperament, sexual orientation and disease risk — but that environment also matters. His new book is The Gene.
Scientists identified two genetic variants that make it more likely that a woman will give birth to fraternal twins. Knowing this might help develop safer fertility treatments.
After Angelina Jolie disclosed her genetic predisposition for breast cancer, demand for genetic tests went up. Counselors help interpret those tests, and demand for their services has increased, too.
Why do some people get sick from genetic mutations and others don't? Scientists say clues may lie in a rare group of people who carry profound genetic defects but somehow don't fall ill.
Is stress turning your hair gray? Your ancestors may have something to do with it, too. Scientists say they've found the first genetic variant associated with going gray.
Medical researchers often use race to define health risks. But a geneticist and a sociologist say racial categories don't accurately reflect who people are, and that science has to change.
Loneliness takes a toll on many aspects of health, in part because it activates a fight -or-flight immune response. That may have helped ancestors survive lonely exile, but can slowly kill us today.
Research on fruit flies with different types of insomnia has revealed the same brain pathways that interfere with sleep in people. The result may be better sleeping pills that don't leave you groggy.
Statins made her feel wretched, so she took a DNA test to find out why. But even the doctor with the genetic testing company admits that the test doesn't tell you much more than you already know.
Scientists assume a wave of people from what's now Siberia crossed into North America via Alaska, maybe 23,000 years ago. Genetics support that, but may also suggest another wave from Australasia.
A clump of a mammoth's fur bought on eBay led scientists to a long list of ways the extinct species was special. One specific gene likely played a role in helping mammoths thrive in icy weather.
Just because you can get your children's genome sequenced doesn't mean it's going to do their health any good, a report finds. Most benefits from genetic medicine come from a tight focus.
The new evidence suggests the ancient skeleton is closely related to members of a Washington state tribe. The findings are likely to rekindle an old debate between scientists and Native Americans.
A large, international study found that kids born to older parents had higher rates of autism. Having a teen mom or parents with a large gap between their ages also increased the autism odds.
The notion goes back to the ancients — that minds given to flights of fancy are on the healthy side of a spectrum that includes what we today call psychosis. An Icelandic gene study offers new clues.
Genetically, at least, not that much has changed in the billion years since you two last shared a relative. Roughly half the 500 genes yeast need for life are interchangeable with the human versions.
