Saturday, July 26, 2025
News Wave
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • World
  • USA
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Technology
Login
News Wave
  • Home
  • World
  • USA
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Technology
Login
No Result
View All Result
Login
News Wave
No Result
View All Result
Home World USA

NIH’s ‘All of Us’ project aims to make genomic research more inclusive : Shots

7 March 2024
in USA
0
NIH’s ‘All of Us’ project aims to make genomic research more inclusive : Shots
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
How does this make you feel?


\"\"

Results from a DNA sequencer used in the Human Genome Project.

National Human Genome Research Institute

hide caption

toggle caption

National Human Genome Research Institute

\"\"/

Results from a DNA sequencer used in the Human Genome Project.

National Human Genome Research Institute

A big federal research project aimed at reducing racial disparities in genetic research has unveiled the program\’s first major trove of results.

\”This is a huge deal,\” says Dr. Joshua Denny, who runs the All of Us program at the National Institutes of Health. \”The shear quantify of genetic data in a really diverse population for the first time creates a powerful foundation for researchers to make discoveries that will be relevant to everyone.\”

The goal of the $3.1 billion program is to solve a long-standing problem in genetic research: Most of the people who donate their DNA to help find better genetic tests and precision drugs are white.

\”Most research has not been representative of our country or the world,\” Denny says. \”Most research has focused on people of European genetic ancestry or would be self-identified as white. And that means there\’s a real inequity in past research.\”

For example, researchers \”don\’t understand how drugs work well in certain populations. We don\’t understand the causes of disease for many people,\” Denny says. \”Our project is to really correct some of those past inequities so we can really understand how we can improve health for everyone.\”

But the project has also stirred up debate about whether the program is perpetuating misconceptions about the importance of genetics in health and the validity of race as a biological category.

New genetic variations discovered

Ultimately, the project aims to collect detailed health information from more than 1 million people in the U.S., including samples of their DNA.

In a series of papers published in February in the journals Nature, Nature Medicine, and Communications Biology, the program released the genetic sequences from 245,000 volunteers and some analysis of those data.

\”What\’s really exciting about this is that nearly half of those participants are of diverse race or ethnicity,\” Denny says, adding that researchers found a wealth of genetic diversity.

\”We found more than a billion genetic points of variation in those genomes; 275 million variants that we found have never been seen before,\” Denny says.

\”Most of that variation won\’t have an impact on health. But some of it will. And we will have the power to start uncovering those differences about health that will be relevant really maybe for the first time to all populations,\” he says, including new genetic variations that play a role in the risk for diabetes.

\"Researchers

But one concern is that this kind of research may contribute to a misleading idea that genetics is a major factor — maybe even the most important factor — in health, critics say.

\”Any effort to combat inequality and health disparities in society, I think, is a good one,\” says James Tabery, a bioethicist at the University of Utah. \”But when we\’re talking about health disparities — whether it\’s black babies at two or more times the risk of infant mortality than white babies, or sky-high rates of diabetes in indigenous communities, higher rates of asthma in Hispanic communities — we know where the causes of those problem are. And those are in our environment, not in our genomes.\”

Race is a social construct, not a genetic one

Some also worry that instead of helping alleviate racial and ethnic disparities, the project could backfire — by inadvertently reinforcing the false idea that racial differences are based on genetics. In fact, race is a social category, not a biological one.

\”If you put forward the idea that different racial groups need their own genetics projects in order to understand their biology you\’ve basically accepted one of the tenants of scientific racism — that races are sufficiently genetically distinct from each other as to be distinct biological entities,\” says Michael Eisen, a professor of molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley. \”The project itself is, I think, unintentionally but nonetheless really bolstering one of the false tenants of scientific racism.\”

\”It\’s scientific racism,\” agrees Nathanial Comfort, a bioethicist at Johns Hopkins University. \”It\’s racism with the cultural authority of science behind it.\”

Denny disputes those criticisms. He notes the program is collecting detailed non-genetic data too.

\”It really is about lifestyle, the environment, and behaviors, as well as genetics,\” Denny says. \”It\’s about ZIP code and genetic code — and all the factors that go in between.\”

And while genes don\’t explain all health problems, genetic variations associated with a person\’s race can play an important role worth exploring equally, he says.

\”Having diverse population is really important because genetic variations do differ by population,\” Denny says. \”If we don\’t look at everyone, we won\’t understand how to treat well any individual in front of us.\”



Source link

🪄 Creating a simple explanation...

Tags: aimsgenomicinclusiveNIHsProjectresearchShots
Previous Post

Kiwi Kids Quiz – 8th March 2024

Next Post

Gardaí uncover illegal rave in D4 after revellers call emergency services as woman takes ill from ketamine

Related Posts

Passengers exit plane via emergency slide after aborted takeoff
USA

Passengers exit plane via emergency slide after aborted takeoff

by My News Wave
26 July 2025
0

Passengers were evacuated via emergency slides after American Airlines flight 3023, headed to Miami, aborted takeoff in Denver due to a possible landing gear issue, resulting in smoke and flames. One person was hospitalized with minor injuries, and the airline is providing a replacement flight while the original aircraft is inspected. Want More Context? 🔎

Read more
Southwest flight descends 475 feet to avoid ‘midair collision’ with Hawker Hunter
USA

Southwest flight descends 475 feet to avoid ‘midair collision’ with Hawker Hunter

by My News Wave
26 July 2025
0

A Southwest flight rapidly descended 475 feet shortly after takeoff from Hollywood Burbank Airport to avoid a Hawker Hunter aircraft, with passengers reporting a significant drop. Southwest Airlines confirmed that two flight attendants were injured and stated they are cooperating with the FAA to investigate the incident, which occurred when the planes were 4.86 miles apart. Want More Context? 🔎

Read more
How nanoplastics may be impacting our long-term health
USA

How nanoplastics may be impacting our long-term health

by My News Wave
26 July 2025
0

Dr. Matt Campen's research at the University of New Mexico has revealed the presence of plastics in human brain tissue, estimating that the amount could be comparable to the size of a plastic spoon, with links to health issues like dementia and chronic diseases. Studies indicate that increasing exposure to nanoplastics is associated with serious health risks, prompting calls for greater action against plastic use in our food supply. Want More Context? 🔎

Read more
Multiple people stabbed at Walmart in Traverse City; 1 in custody, police say
USA

Multiple people stabbed at Walmart in Traverse City; 1 in custody, police say

by My News Wave
26 July 2025
0

Two Arrested After Carjacking Shootout in DetroitMultiple people were wounded in a stabbing incident at a Walmart in Traverse City, Michigan, with 11 victims receiving treatment. The suspect is in custody, and the investigation is ongoing, involving local authorities and the FBI. Want More Context? 🔎

Read more
Security tightens as Donald Trump plays golf at Turnberry
USA

Security tightens as Donald Trump plays golf at Turnberry

by My News Wave
26 July 2025
0

Mary McCoolBBC Scotland NewsA major security operation was in place as Donald Trump golfed at his Turnberry resort during a private visit to Scotland, which included protests in Aberdeen and Edinburgh. He is set to meet UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Scotland's First Minister John Swinney, amidst concerns over the visit's security costs and its political implications. Want More Context? 🔎

Read more
Chinese research ship detected off Alaskan coast, Coast Guard says
USA

Chinese research ship detected off Alaskan coast, Coast Guard says

by My News Wave
26 July 2025
0

A China-flagged research vessel, the Xue Long 2, was detected by the U.S. Coast Guard about 290 nautical miles north of Utqiagvik, Alaska, within the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf. The Coast Guard emphasized its commitment to monitoring foreign vessel activity to protect U.S. territorial integrity, while Canada also reported monitoring the ship's movements. Want More Context? 🔎

Read more
News Wave

News Summarized. Time Saved. Bite-sized news briefs for busy people. No fluff, just facts.

CATEGORIES

  • Africa
  • Asia Pacific
  • Australia
  • Business
  • Canada
  • Entertainment
  • Europe
  • India
  • Middle East
  • New Zealand
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • UK
  • USA
  • World

LATEST NEWS STORIES

  • Does this look like a real woman? AI Vogue model raises concerns about beauty standards
  • DOGE is reportedly pushing an AI tool that would put half of all federal regulations on a 'delete list'
  • Israeli drone strike kills one in southern Lebanon – Middle East Monitor
  • About Us
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 News Wave
News Wave is not responsible for the content of external sites.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • World
  • USA
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Technology

Copyright © 2025 News Wave
News Wave is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In