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And We Used to Think Spitting Showed Bad Manners

Never thought we'd see the day that 23andMe would make it into the New York Times Style section -- but then again, we couldn't have predicted that "spit parties" would one day be enough of a trend to gather Diane von Furstenberg, Rupert Murdoch, Barry Diller, and other celebrities. "Some people might fear a world where widespread DNA testing would remove the mysteries of their futures or even strip them of privacy," the article says. But 23andMe "wants people to think of their genomes as a basis for social networking."

 

The Scan

Positive Framing of Genetic Studies Can Spark Mistrust Among Underrepresented Groups

Researchers in Human Genetics and Genomics Advances report that how researchers describe genomic studies may alienate potential participants.

Small Study of Gene Editing to Treat Sickle Cell Disease

In a Novartis-sponsored study in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that a CRISPR-Cas9-based treatment targeting promoters of genes encoding fetal hemoglobin could reduce disease symptoms.

Gut Microbiome Changes Appear in Infants Before They Develop Eczema, Study Finds

Researchers report in mSystems that infants experienced an enrichment in Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and Finegoldia and a depletion of Bacteroides before developing eczema.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment Specificity Enhanced With Stem Cell Editing

A study in Nature suggests epitope editing in donor stem cells prior to bone marrow transplants can stave off toxicity when targeting acute myeloid leukemia with immunotherapy.