Patients suffering the same genetic illness that blighted the life of Sir Keir Starmer’s mother now have hope of a cure, thanks to new breakthrough drugs. The Labour Party leader spoke movingly on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs last week of the illness she suffered, Still’s disease. As a young teenager, he was once … Read more
The genetic make-up of 363 species of bird – ranging from the humble chicken to the amazing bird-of-paradise – has been mapped by scientists for the first time. The work, by researchers from the Smithsonian Institute and about 100 other institutions involved analysing over 17 trillion base pairs of DNA from bird species. Researchers say … Read more
Hundreds of men may be living with a potentially deadly condition just discovered by National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists. The new disease, dubbed VEXAS, causes recurring blood clots, fevers, inflammation and lung damage – in men, specifically. NIH researchers began seeing a trickle of men with the strange network of symptoms (which, oddly, but … Read more
Baby’s got blue eyes… and so has everyone else! Indonesian tribe have piercing features due to a genetic fluke Members of a tribe on Buton Island, Indonesia, have Waardenburg Syndrome, affecting pigmentation The syndrome can affect hear loss but also causes an extremely rare electric blue colour in their eyes Korchnoi Pasaribu, from Jakarta, Indonesia, photographed … Read more
Sun-loving people have the same ‘risk-taking’ genes that lead to smoking, promiscuity and drugs, study finds Researchers at KCL looked for genetic variants associated with sun-seeking Found the genes are the same five variants linked to other risk-taking behaviour Researchers say the genetic differences should help inform campaigns which warn of the health hazards posed … Read more
A turtle ‘revered as an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu’ is spotted in Nepal with a dazzling golden shell due to an ultra-rare genetic mutation Unique colouration is caused by ultra-rare genetic form of chromatic leucism Causes when xanthophores — cells that are yellow — become dominant Only fifth time a golden specimen of … Read more
A four-year-old boy with a rare genetic disorder will not be allowed to attend school in September despite posing no greater risk than other children in catching and spreading Covid-19. Victoria Henry-Macklin, 46, from Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, is calling on ministers to intervene after she was told her son Ryan Henry-Macklin, who has Treacher-Collins Syndrome, will … Read more
A woman with a rare genetic condition has shared how she wears a mask that looks like a ‘space helmet’ to protect her skin from damaging UV rays – and hasn’t left the house without it for 20 years. At just two-years-old, Fatima Ghazaoui, 28, from Mohammedia, Morocco, was diagnosed with the rare skin condition Xeroderma … Read more
Baby girl born with no arms or legs due to a rare genetic disorder leaves doctors and family baffled in India Mother, reported to be 28, gave birth to a baby girl with no limbs yesterday She was born in the Sakla village of Sironj Tehsil in the Vidisha district of India Has rare genetic … Read more
Neanderthals’ low genetic diversity may have caused their extinction by hampering their ability to adapt to environmental changes, a study has suggested. Experts studied variations in the upper neck bone of Neanderthals found in Spain and Croatia — the proliferation of which is associated with low genetic diversity. A varied gene pool confers evolutionary strength, … Read more