Connection Between Epigenome, Selective Mutability, Evolution, and Human Disease
Li, Harris et al., PLoS Genetics
Researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine and elsewhere propose a "connection between the epigenome, selective mutability, evolution, and human disease" based on the findings of their study on associations of structural mutability with germline DNA methylation and with non-allelic homologous recombination mediated by low-copy repeats. "Combined evidence from four human sperm methylome maps, human genome evolution, structural polymorphisms in the human population, and previous genomic and disease studies consistently points to a strong association of germline hypomethylation and genomic instability," the Baylor-led team writes.
In Control
February 06, 2012
Scripp's Eric Topol "wants to digitize you by collecting streams of your anatomical, physiological, and biological data and uploading them to your iPhone (or PC) for easy and constant accessibility," says Future Tense, a collaboration between Arizona State University, the New America Foundation, and Slate. Topol's new book, The Creative Destruction of Medicine: How the Digital Revolution Will Create Better Health Care, calls for patients to take control of their healthcare and advocate for personalized medicine. "We've got to get the consumers to drive this thing," Topol says.