All articles tagged with #polygenic risk scores
A large-scale study found that individuals with a higher genetic risk for major depression, measured by polygenic risk scores, tend to have smaller brain volumes and surface areas in specific regions such as the hippocampus, thalamus, and orbitofrontal cortex, with potential implications for early intervention and personalized treatment.
The article explores Silicon Valley's push towards genetically customizing babies through advanced embryo screening and polygenic risk scoring, raising ethical questions about eugenics, accessibility, and the accuracy of current genetic prediction methods, amid a broader cultural movement advocating for increased reproductive technology use to counteract declining birth rates.
Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have improved genetic testing methods called polygenic risk scores to provide a more accurate assessment of disease risk across diverse populations. By recalibrating these tests using ancestrally diverse genomic data, the researchers aim to prevent health disparities caused by false results and inequitable genetic tools. The optimized scores, developed using data from the All of Us Research Program, have shown effectiveness across various ancestral backgrounds, representing a step towards routine use of polygenic risk scores in the clinic to benefit all people.