The field of genetics is rapidly evolving and new medical breakthroughs are occuring as a result of advances in knowledge of genetics. This series continually publishes important reviews of the broadest interest to geneticists and their colleagues in affiliated disciplines. Five sections on the latest advances in complex traits Methods for testing with ethical, legal, and social implications Hot topics include discussions on systems biology approach to drug discovery; using comparative genomics for detecting human disease genes; computationally intensive challenges, and more
Over the past century, we have made great strides in reducing rates of disease and enhancing people's general health. Public health measures such as sanitation, improved hygiene, and vaccines; reduced hazards in the workplace; new drugs and clinical procedures; and, more recently, a growing understanding of the human genome have each played a role in extending the duration and raising the quality of human life. But research conducted over the past few decades shows us that this progress, much of which was based on investigating one causative factor at a time—often, through a single discipline or by a narrow range of practitioners—can only go so far. Genes, Behavior, and the Social Environment examines a number of well-described gene-environment interactions, reviews the state of the science in researching such interactions, and recommends priorities not only for research itself but also for its workforce, resource, and infrastructural needs.
As the population of older Americans grows, it is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. Differences in health by racial and ethnic status could be increasingly consequential for health policy and programs. Such differences are not simply a matter of education or ability to pay for health care. For instance, Asian Americans and Hispanics appear to be in better health, on a number of indicators, than White Americans, despite, on average, lower socioeconomic status. The reasons are complex, including possible roles for such factors as selective migration, risk behaviors, exposure to various stressors, patient attitudes, and geographic variation in health care. This volume, produced by a multidisciplinary panel, considers such possible explanations for racial and ethnic health differentials within an integrated framework. It provides a concise summary of available research and lays out a research agenda to address the many uncertainties in current knowledge. It recommends, for instance, looking at health differentials across the life course and deciphering the links between factors presumably producing differentials and biopsychosocial mechanisms that lead to impaired health.
Biosocial Surveys analyzes the latest research on the increasing number of multipurpose household surveys that collect biological data along with the more familiar interviewerâ€"respondent information. This book serves as a follow-up to the 2003 volume, Cells and Surveys: Should Biological Measures Be Included in Social Science Research? and asks these questions: What have the social sciences, especially demography, learned from those efforts and the greater interdisciplinary communication that has resulted from them? Which biological or genetic information has proven most useful to researchers? How can better models be developed to help integrate biological and social science information in ways that can broaden scientific understanding? This volume contains a collection of 17 papers by distinguished experts in demography, biology, economics, epidemiology, and survey methodology. It is an invaluable sourcebook for social and behavioral science researchers who are working with biosocial data.
In the field of forensics, there is a critical need for genetic tests that can function in a predictive or inferential sense, before suspects have been identified, and/or for crimes for which DNA evidence exists but eye-witnesses do not. Molecular Photofitting fills this need by describing the process of generating a physical description of an individual from the analysis of his or her DNA. The molecular photofitting process has been used to assist with the identification of remains and to guide criminal investigations toward certain individuals within the sphere of prior suspects. Molecular Photofitting provides an accessible roadmap for both the forensic scientist hoping to make use of the new tests becoming available, and for the human genetic researcher working to discover the panels of markers that comprise these tests. By implementing population structure as a practical forensics and clinical genomics tool, Molecular Photofitting serves to redefine the way science and history look at ancestry and genetics, and shows how these tools can be used to maximize the efficacy of our criminal justice system. - Explains how physical descriptions of individuals can be generated using only their DNA - Contains case studies that show how this new forensic technology is used in practical application - Includes over 100 diagrams, tables, and photos to illustrate and outline complex concepts
The Ovary, Third Edition, includes more than 60% new material that highlights the clinical aspects of human ovarian functions. It covers advances in the areas of genomics, assisted reproductive technology, and cancer diagnosis and treatment. This updated edition synthesizes new information at the molecular, cellular and organismal levels, while also presenting modern ovarian physiology in a more understandable and comparative context. The book looks at ovarian function from a detailed molecular and cellular level that examines all phases of the ovarian lifecycle that places special emphasis on the pathophysiology of the human ovary, including ovarian carcinogenesis. Represents an unparalleled compilation of chapters that are relevant to contemporary ovarian physiology Provides basic and clinical research on ovarian function, abnormalities, assisted reproductive technology, and cancer Highlights contemporary strategies and treatment paradigms in female factor infertility
Genetic approaches have revolutionized our understanding of the fundamental causes of human disease by permitting the identification of specific genes in which variation causes or contributes to susceptibility to, or protection from, disease. More than 2,000 disease genes have been identified in the last 20 years, providing important new insight into the pathophysiology of diseases in every field of medicine. Genetic Diseases of the Kidney offers expert insight into the role of genetic abnormalities in the pathogenesis of abnormal kidney function and kidney disease. Genetic abnormalities are carefully presented within the appropriate physiologic context so that readers will understand not only which genes are linked to which diseases but also which pathways lead from a genetic "disturbance to the systemic appearance of disease. - Lays the essential foundation of mammalian genetics principles for medical professionals with little or no background in genetics - Analyzes specific renal diseases – both monogenic disorders confined to the kidney and systemic diseases with renal involvement – and explains their genetic causes - World-renowned editors and authors offer expert frameworks for understanding the links between genes and complex clinical disorders (i.e., lupus, diabetes, HIV, and hypertension)
Heritable human genome editing - making changes to the genetic material of eggs, sperm, or any cells that lead to their development, including the cells of early embryos, and establishing a pregnancy - raises not only scientific and medical considerations but also a host of ethical, moral, and societal issues. Human embryos whose genomes have been edited should not be used to create a pregnancy until it is established that precise genomic changes can be made reliably and without introducing undesired changes - criteria that have not yet been met, says Heritable Human Genome Editing. From an international commission of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine, U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and the U.K.'s Royal Society, the report considers potential benefits, harms, and uncertainties associated with genome editing technologies and defines a translational pathway from rigorous preclinical research to initial clinical uses, should a country decide to permit such uses. The report specifies stringent preclinical and clinical requirements for establishing safety and efficacy, and for undertaking long-term monitoring of outcomes. Extensive national and international dialogue is needed before any country decides whether to permit clinical use of this technology, according to the report, which identifies essential elements of national and international scientific governance and oversight.
Economic Evaluation in Genomic Medicine introduces health economics and economic evaluation to genomic clinicians and researchers, while also introducing the topic to health economists. Each chapter includes an executive summary, questions, and case studies, along with supplementary online materials, including process guides, maps, flow charts, diagrams, and economic evaluation spreadsheets to enhance the learning process. The text can easily be used as course material for related graduate and undergraduate courses, providing a succinct overview of the existing, state-of-the-art application of economic evaluation to genomic healthcare and precision medicine. - Interrelates economic evaluation and genomic medicine - Instructs healthcare professionals and bioscientists about economic evaluation in genomic medicine - Teaches health economists about application of economic evaluation in genomic medicine - Introduces health economics and economic evaluation to clinicians and researchers involved in genomics - Includes process guides, maps, flow charts and diagrams
