Roundup: Genetic links to breast cancer, Avandia under attack, death and the drug official, and more
More genetic links for breast cancer – Whole-genome association studies that tease out links between minute genetic variations and the likelihood of disease are definitely building momentum. Over the last several days, researchers reported six new variations that increase the risk of breast cancer for women who have inherited them. (For background, see this Boston Globe piece or my recent take on the subject.) It’s now conceivable that scientists may soon have an excellent handle on… Continue Reading
Needles emerge from the genomic haystack
Scientists yesterday reported finding seven new gene variants linked to diabetes, a sign that the disease-gene hunt may have finally attained a sort of critical momentum.
Researchers have been looking for genes related to particular disorders for more than 30 years, and have been frustrated in that hunt for almost as long. With the exception of a few conditions caused by a single malfunctioning gene — most notably, perhaps, cystic fibrosis and Huntingdon’s disease — most… Continue Reading