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Daniel MacArthur at Genetic Future has a post about whether there will be value in sequencing the full genome of each newborn in the next decade. "There are plenty of very rare, severe disease mutations that would be clinically useful to detect at an early stage," he writes. "Secondly, pharmacogenomics is finally coming of age." He notes that advances from GWAS have begun to make the PGx field more viable, citing abacavir and statins as examples of drugs that can be kept away from patients who will have major adverse reactions "by typing a single genetic marker."

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.