For many genetic diseases, disabling or editing a gene using CRISPR is insufficient to overcome the effects of the underlying genetic mutation. A corrective gene needs to be added to the genome to fix the problem. Researchers have discovered a way to use a bird retrotransposon -- a type of junk DNA -- to insert whole transgenes into the human genome in a targeted way that does not risk damaging other genes.
Read more …Junk DNA in birds may hold key to safe, efficient gene therapy
Hundreds of novel ingredients never encountered by human physiology are now found in nearly 60 percent of the average adult's diet and nearly 70 percent of children's diets in the U.S. An emerging health hazard is the unprecedented consumption of these ultra-processed foods in the standard American diet. This may be the new 'silent' killer, as was unrecognized high blood pressure in previous decades. Physicians provide important insights in a battle where the entertainment industry, the food industry and public policy do not align with their patients' needs.
Read more …Could ultra-processed foods be the new 'silent' killer?