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A recent patent granted for methods for diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) raises several ethical concerns beyond the fundamental question of whether genomic sequences are patentable, as it suggests that genetic testing can provide a diagnosis of ASD even before behavioural symptoms present.
The emerging field of paediatric genomics has leveraged the power of next-generation sequencing technologies to improve the diagnostic rates of rare disease in children. This Review addresses key considerations for safe and effective implementation of genomics in the clinic.
Despite the remarkable throughput of next-generation sequencing technologies, standard techniques are limited by the difficulty in distinguishing sequencing errors from genuine low-frequency DNA variants within heterogeneous cellular or molecular populations. This Review discusses sequencing methodologies and bioinformatic strategies that have been devised for the reliable detection of rare mutations and describes various important applications in diverse fields including cancer, ageing and metagenomics.
DNA repeats are more liable to mutation than other genetic variants, which enables them to mediate genetic plasticity. The expansion of tandem repeats can cause a range of monogenic disorders, contribute to the missing heritability of polygenic disorders and regulate gene expression, as well as RNA and protein function, in healthy individuals.
This article discusses how integrating different omics data types — such as DNA sequencing, transcriptomics and metabolomics — can provide a rich view of healthy and disease states, including novel clinical diagnoses. The authors discuss the value of the different data types, as well as strategies, considerations and challenges for multi-omic integration in various disease contexts.
Adult stem cells are essential for the maintenance of tissue homeostasis and wound repair, but cancer can hijack their tissue regenerative functions to promote malignancy. Ge and Fuchs review recent insights into the determinants and general principles underlying stem cell plasticity under homeostasis, stress and cancer.
