Logo

On the Horizon: More Genetic Testing, More Ethical Debates

May 15, 2007

As leaders in the community debate the technical merits of genetic diagnostics, the consumer community is facing debates of its own about them. This article in the New York Times follows the growing concern over genetic testing when it means would-be parents might choose to abort a fetus that tests positive for a disease or disability. The University of Pennsylvania bioethicist Arthur Caplan is quoted as asking, "How much choice do you really want to give?"

 

Breaking News
The Scan

Alzheimer's Risk Gene Among Women

CNN reports that researchers have found that variants in MGMT contribute to Alzheimer's disease risk among women but not men.

Still Hanging Around

The Guardian writes that persistent pockets of SARS-CoV-2 in the body could contribute to long COVID.

Through a Little Spit

Enteric viruses like norovirus may also be transmitted through saliva, not just the fecal-oral route, according to New Scientist.

Nature Papers Present Method to Detect Full Transcriptome, Viruses Infecting Asgard Archaea, More

In Nature this week: VASA-seq approach to detect full transcriptome, analysis of viruses infecting Asgard archaea, and more.