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In one of the largest longitudinal studies of the microbiome to date, researchers from the ,  (MGH), and the  Study Group have identified a connection between changes in gut microbiota and the onset of type 1 diabetes (T1D). The study, which followed infants who were genetically predisposed to the condition, found that onset for those who developed the disease was preceded by a drop in microbial diversity – including a disproportional decrease in the number of species known to promote health in the gut. These findings, , could help pave the way for microbial-based diagnostic and therapeutic options for those with T1D.

In a New England Journal of Medicine , Ó³»­´«Ã½ associate member Robert Green and co-authors examine the legacy of the 2008 Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). They note that, while few cases of genetic discrimination have ever been documented, pervasive fears persist about how personal genomic data may be used. This fear, they argue, may be hindering participation in genomic research. A story on their perspective piece can also be found on the .

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) affect over 600,000 people annually around the world, many attributable to smoking or human papillomavirus infection. In order to understand the somatic gene mutations and copy number alterations present in these cancers, Ó³»­´«Ã½ researchers Andrew Cherniack, Peter Hammerman, Juok Cho, and colleagues as part of , profiled 279 HNSCCs. The studies, , identified a number of shared and unique sequence alterations that could be further investigated with the goal of preventing and treating these cancers.

Researchers have begun to appreciate the importance of copy number variation when considering the connections between DNA and disease.

Most people have two copies of most genes. But some have only one copy, or three, or none. There have been hints that copy number variation (CNV) might range much more widely than zero to three, but such extremes have been hard to analyze in gene sequencing data.

One of the great misconceptions about cancer is that, since tumors originate from normal cells, they are able to disguise themselves from the immune system—lurking undetected and unopposed as they divide and proliferate. In reality, the immune system is no passive observer when it comes to cancer. Evidence is mounting that many tumors undergo almost constant immune attack. But just how these attacks are initiated and what their effect is on different tumor types has remained largely unexplored. Until now.