Design-a-kid clinic puts offer on hold

A fertility doctor who offered to customize traits like eye and hair color is backing down and says he will mess with Mother Nature only for medical reasons - for now. Full Story : Nydailynews.com…

Turner Syndrome

Turner syndrome occurs when a female is born with one X chromosome instead of two. Occurring in 1 out of every 2500 girls, the syndrome manifests itself in a number of ways. Short stature, lymphoedema, broad chest, low hairline, low-set ears, and webbed neck are common symptoms of Turner syndrome. As a chromosomal condition, there is no “cure” for Turner syndrome. However, growth hormones and Estrogen replacement therapy have been tried to minimize the symptoms.

Down Syndrome In A Dish

Harvard scientists have created stems cells for 10 genetic disorders. These stems cells will allow these researchers to watch the diseases develop in a lab. This new technique could help to find treatments for some of the genetic diseases. Dr. George Daley and his colleagues at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute produced these stem cells by using skin cells and bone marrow from people with diseases such as Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and Down syndrome. The new technique of re-programing cells gives these cells the qualities like embryonic stem cells, which can morph into all kinds of tissue, such as heart, nerve and brain. So researchers can see progression of each diseases in a dish. This technique can help to find a cure by knowing what goes right or wrong in a dish.

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Scaning The Genome For Disease

Exploring the genetic background of major diseases such as diabetes or cardiovascular diseases has now become easier. Normally DNA sequence of every organism shows natural variations called “single nucleotide polymorphisms” or SNPs. The genome of an individual has several million SNPs and, which will be different from others within the same species. Now scientists investigate these SNPs to clarify whether they are related to or influence the development of certain diseases. Researchers have now discovered three million SNPs  in the genome of the rat, which will help to understand the background of major diseases.

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Blue eyed people share a single ancestor.

A new study shows that people with blue eyes have a single, common ancestor. According to  researchers from Copenhagen University, a single mutation which started as recently as 6-10,000 years ago was responsible for all the blue-eyed people alive on Earth today. Blue eyed people out there can claim that Angelina jolie and Brad pitt are their relatives.