When we discuss genetic diseases or hereditary conditions, there is often confusion between these terms. Ultimately, both “genetic” and “hereditary” refer to our DNA and our genetic make-up. However, we need to make the difference between genetic and hereditary, as the two terms are not necessarily interchangeable. While both genetic and hereditary diseases are determined […]

Common diseases, such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes, are complex. This means that their onset depends as much on environmental factors as on diverse genetic factors. Establishing the genetic component associated with these diseases has been challenging. However, with a new approach call Polygenic Risk Score (PRS), now it is possible to detect a greater […]

Some of the most common skin diseases are caused by infections, and others are the result of genetic factors combined with environmental factors. In this article, we bring you some examples of skin diseases caused by different factors, describing their symptoms, treatment and how to prevent them.  Skin and dermatology To learn  more about the characteristics […]

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers not only to a single disease but to a wide range of conditions. Autistic people may present challenges with social, communication and behavioural skills. Whilst ASD can be very different for each person, there are some common characteristics that we can identify at different stages in life. In […]

Huntington’s disease (HD) is an inherited condition affecting the brain function in a progressive manner. This means that it can be transmitted from parents to children and that its onset may start quite unobserved, with slow and steady development affecting the patient.  Most commonly, Huntington’s symptoms appear in adults aged 35-44. If it develops before […]

Did you know that all human beings share 99.9% of their genetic information? This means our uniqueness lies in the remaining 0.1%, which varies between individuals and determines our physical characteristics (phenotype), as well as how we respond to environmental factors. Want to find out more? In this article we delve into the different types of […]

Thanks to new tests that analyse foetal DNA from a mother’s blood sample, prenatal screening has changed drastically in the last decade. Evidence of circulating free DNA in the blood dates back to the late 1940s, but it wasn’t until the late 1990s that the existence of cell-free DNA from the foetus became clear. Also known […]