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.
Francis Collins and the Secrets of Personalized Medicine
January 06, 2010
Francis Collins' new book, The Language of Life: DNA and the Revolution in Personalized Medicine, came out yesterday. His home town is proud: Staunton's News Leader reports that people there have had been inquiring about the book in advance. The owner of a local bookshop, Ron Ramsey, says he isn't surprised since he still sells copies of Collins' first book. According to the Harper Collins, the new book "describes the medical, scientific, and genetic revolution that is currently unlocking the secrets of 'personalized medicine,' and offers practical advice on how to utilize these discoveries for you and your family's current and future health and well-being."