The New York Times recently featured a comprehensive and well-written article by noted Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker on the rise of consumer genomics. Pinker is a participant in the Personal Genome Project, an ambitious initiative to sequence the DNA of 100,000 volunteers for the purpose of better understanding how genes, health, and behavior are interrelated.

He also submitted a spit sample to 23andMe, a direct-to-consumer genetic testing company that promises information about not only disease risk, but also personal traits like food preference, athletic ability, and baldness. In Pinker’s case, the genetic test results were, well, flat-out wrong. Despite genetic predictions to the contrary, he likes coffee and beer, prefers hiking and cycling to squash, and has a full head of hair.

The article reinforces several important messages about our current understanding of the relationship between genes and health, personality, intelligence, and other complex traits. Most genetic tests provide only limited information about your odds of developing an illness, being bald, or preferring brussel sprouts over broccoli.  Both genes and our environment play a key role in shaping who we are. For a given illness or trait, there are likely hundreds, if not thousands of genes that, along with environment, make us who we are. Current research tools are not yet sophisticated enough to tease out many these relationships.

We will, no doubt, understand more about our genetic selves in the years to come; research initiatives like the Personal Genome Project and Northwestern’s NUgene project will hopefully shed new light on many genetic mysteries.  For the time being, as Pinker points out, if you want to know if you’re good at math, take a math test.  And the simplest genetic test is your family history.

Original Article

New research from the University of Washington and NASA indicates that climate change in Antarctica is more widespread than previously thought. Using satellite and weather station data from 1957-2006, researchers deduced that both the western and eastern halves have warmed significantly, approximately 0.1 degree Celsius overall per decade. The warming has serious repercussions for melting ice, sea levels, and wildlife.

Previously, global warming skeptics pointed to earlier data from scattered ground-based coastal sensors that suggested the eastern region of Antarctica was actually cooling, an observation at odds with climate change predictions. The current study, however, with its broader geographic coverage of the continent, suggests that all of Antarctica is warming.

Original Article

You’d probably be concerned if you knew that the US was at the mercy of countries like China and India for many of your prescription medications. Yet, this is exactly the situation for many key drugs you might take for an infection, diabetes, or even high blood pressure. More than 85% of pharma plants producing off-patent medications are found overseas.

With China’s melamine scandal fresh on everyone’s minds (this toxic chemical was found in infant formula), drug safety is a primary concern. It’s also scary to think that the US could be cut off from potentially lifesaving drugs, should a foreign country decide to scale back trade relations with us. The time necessary to build a new antibiotic plant on US soil? Two years.

Original Article

Using special infrared telescopes, NASA scientists have discovered the presence of regular methane “plumes” on Mars, further raising the possibility that life once existed – or currently exists – on Mars. Methane gas is one of the simplest organic molecules, a common byproduct of biological life. In fact, more than 90% of the Earth’s methane comes from biologic sources.

It is important to point out that the presence of methane is, in and of itself, not conclusive evidence of life. Methane can be produced from purely non-biological chemical reactions. Based on NASA’s current findings, it’s impossible to say if the gas is from biologic or geologic sources.

Interestingly, the article also highlights recent research showing that microbial life can live quite happily miles underground. A team from Indiana University recently discovered microbes living two miles beneath the Earth’s surface. These microbes harnessed energy from the radioactive decay of nearby rocks to generate fuel. If Martian life does actually exist, it would likely be deep underground, where the temperature is significantly warmer and liquid water would flow freely.

It will be interesting to see if the next Mars rover mission, scheduled for 2011, will target one of the suspicious methane-rich sites.

Original Article

Geron, a California-based biotech company, plans to begin human testing soon for the first-ever embryonic stem cell therapy. The company has been working for the last ten years to develop a treatment for spinal cord injury, submitting a 22,500-page application last year to the Food and Drug Administration. Approval of this application is the final step before clinical trials can begin.

Clinical trials generally occur in three phases (I, II, and III) and are designed to carefully evaluate safety, dose, how well the drug works, and how well it compares to current therapies. The entire process can take more than a decade (and tens of millions of dollars) to complete. The National Institutes of Health has awebsite that explains the process in detail, including a list of active clinical trials.

As the Chicago Tribune article points out, much is at stake. Should the trial prove effective, the road will be paved for future studies. But if the new therapy is not effective, there is a fear that the public and policy makers may lose enthusiasm. Many researchers caution that high expectations need to be kept in check. California stem cell researcher Evan Snyder said, “If you had even bought Christopher Reeve an extra segment of spinal function he would [have been] off his ventilator. He would not be running a marathon, but you’ve changed his life.”

The article also discusses the negative impact of President Bush’s restrictive policies on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Present-elect Barack Obama has said he will lift federal funding restrictions as one of his first acts in office.

[UPDATE - 1/23/09: The FDA has approved Geron's request to begin clinical trials]