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A Gene for Blindness in Dogs

Aug 08, 2008

Scientists discovered a genetic mutation in dachshunds that's related to cone-rod dystrophies, reports the BBC. In work published in Genome Research, doctors at the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science isolated a gene called NPHP4, a portion of which had been deleted in affected dachshunds. The mutation only affects the eyes, suggesting that it might be a drug candidate for humans with the disease.

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The Scan

Pig Organ Transplants Considered

The Wall Street Journal reports that the US Food and Drug Administration may soon allow clinical trials that involve transplanting pig organs into humans.

'Poo-Bank' Proposal

Harvard Medical School researchers suggest people should bank stool samples when they are young to transplant when they later develop age-related diseases.

Spurred to Develop Again

New Scientist reports that researchers may have uncovered why about 60 percent of in vitro fertilization embryos stop developing.

Science Papers Examine Breast Milk Cell Populations, Cerebral Cortex Cellular Diversity, Micronesia Population History

In Science this week: unique cell populations found within breast milk, 100 transcriptionally distinct cell populations uncovered in the cerebral cortex, and more.