Genetics and Health

October 22nd, 2008

Alzheimer’s drug may help Down syndrome kids

Medications that have been slowing the mental decline in Alzheimer’s patients are showing promise as drugs that can boost the mental skills of children with Down Syndrome.
Two of those promising drugs are Aricept and Exelon, which were found to increase skill levels of Down syndrome children in small clinical trials. Aricept and Exelon […]

By Grace Ibay -- 0 comments

October 7th, 2008

Should kids be tested for the cancer gene?

Mothers who tested positive for breast cancer gene are now asking a tough question - should we test the kids?
Women with a faulty gene have a three to seven times greater risk of developing breast cancer and a higher risk of ovarian cancer. Men have more risk of prostate, pancreatic and other types of cancer.

With […]

By Grace Ibay -- 0 comments

March 29th, 2006

Discover Genomics! Mobile Laboratory

Middle school kids in the Baltimore-Washington Region are getting a chance to hop on the J. Craig Venter Institute sponsored Discover Genomics! Mobile Laboratory. All the equipment that’s needed to conduct biology experiements is on board: electricity, running water, micropipettes, centrifuges, electrophoresis supplies, and reagents. Each class gets hands-on experience in extracting DNA, studying […]

By Hsien Hsien Lei, PhD -- 5 comments