What’s been going on in the genomics world this week? We’ve done the hard work for you – check out Week in Brief for an overview of the biggest news from the last seven days.
New research has revealed that blood stem cells evolve differently in mice and humans over time. This calls into question the use of models used in laboratory experiments and sheds new light on aging processes (Nature).
A large-scale resource combining sequencing data from three long-term birth cohorts has been released. The data, which comes from over 37,000 parents and children, will be used to understand development, links between genes and the environment and more (Sanger Institute).
Another new resource has also been released, full of data that could explain how thousands of inherited genetic variants are linked to various health conditions and biological processes (Nature Genetics).
A new computational tool, called Cell2Fate, allows researchers to map cellular trajectories in both development and disease. It improves upon previous techniques by breaking trajectories into smaller modules and modelling dynamic gene expression (Nature Methods).
Two recent studies have together doubled the number of known genetic links to atrial fibrillation. These new findings point towards pathways that could, in the future, be targeted to treat the condition, which often leads to consequences such as stroke and heart failure (Nature Genetics, Nature Genetics).
A study has shown that haploinsufficiency of the ITSN1 gene confers a 10-fold increased risk of Parkinson’s disease. The effect size is significantly larger than other established genetic factors linked to the condition, and carriers are at higher risk of earlier onset (Cell Reports).
It was announced that, after deliberations involving scientists from across the globe, it has been decided which strains will be included in this year’s flu vaccines (The Crick Institute).
A recent study has shown that men who suffer from infertility have an almost five-fold enrichment of disease-causing variants in hereditary cancer genes compared to their counterparts. This could allow for earlier detection of cancer risk, as most men are diagnosed with infertility in their 30s (Human Reproduction Open).
A study in mice has shown that, as the animals reach old age, the inactivated X chromosome in females begins to express genes associated with healthier aging, for example by increasing cognitive ability. Should the results translate to humans, these findings could contribute to a better understanding of the aging process (Science Advances).
A phenome-wide association study, using data from six diverse cohorts, has revealed over 250 statistically significant links between genetically predicted heights and a range of diseases, particularly those of the circulatory system (npj Genomic Medicine).
See last week’s Week in Brief here.
