A genetic test for autism currently classified as a secondary approach may be able to pick out the underlying causes for the condition at a rate more than three times that of a screening considered to be a first-tier test, according to a new study.

The researchers launched the study to compare the newer screening, called chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA), against the tests that the American Academy of Pediatrics currently considers to be first-tier approaches -- G-banded karyotype and fragile X testing. They said they hope the new research will help the test achieve first-line status when it comes to determining the genetic reasons behind autism spectrum disorders.

LONDON - In a breakthrough discovery, researchers at the University of Calgary have found the unique genes that allow the opium poppy to make codeine and morphine.

The advance has opened doors to alternate methods of producing these effective painkillers either by manufacturing them in a lab or controlling the production of these compounds in the plant.

'The enzymes encoded by these two genes have eluded plant biochemists for a half-century. In finding not only the enzymes but also the genes, we've made a major step forward.

TORONTO - Canadian researchers have decoded opium poppy which will lead to cheaper and mass production of the current costly pain killers. Currently, the morphine is the most used painkiller around the world.

Researchers at Canada's University of Calgary revealed Sunday that they have decoded the unique genes in the opium poppy that allow it to make codeine and then morphine painkiller.

The enzymes in these unique genes can be harnessed to readily and easily mass produce pain killers, said researchers led by biological sciences professor Peter Facchini.

CHICAGO - Archbishop Desmond Tutu has done it. So has genome pioneer Craig Venter.

And now American film actress Glenn Close has joined a handful of celebrities to have their genome sequenced in the name of science.

Close, who stars in the FX television series "Damages" and is known for movie roles including "Fatal Attraction" and "Dangerous Liaisons," said the offer was too good to pass up.

"For me, anything that can move the science forward is worthwhile," Close said in a telephone interview. "It's pretty well publicized that I have mental health issues in my family."

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Archbishop Desmond Tutu has done it. So has genome pioneer Craig Venter.

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And now American film actress Glenn Close has joined a handful of celebrities to have their genome sequenced in the name of science.

Close, who stars in the FX television series "Damages" and is known for movie roles including "Fatal Attraction" and "Dangerous Liaisons," said the offer was too good to pass up.

WASHINGTON -- Children inherit about 30 mutated genes from each parent, fewer than had been thought, but enough in at least one case to pass on inherited illnesses, according to a first detailed look at the blueprint for human life in a family.

And a separate study of an individual genome located the cause of another inherited disease.

The blueprint for life, called DNA, contains about 22,000 genes, and researchers calculated the number of changes by analyzing the genes of a mother, father, and their son and daughter.

Different diets work better for some people than others

A simple DNA test may predict whether someone is more likely to lose weight on a low fat or a low carbohydrate diet, say US researchers.

The results from the small preliminary study of 101 women showed those on the best diet for their genes lost two to three times more weight than the rest.

The results are being presented at an American Heart Association conference.

Diet not working? Blame your genes. That's the pitch behind a new test that claims to show whether people will do better on a low-fat or a low-carbohydrate weight loss plan.

We're all hard-wired with DNA that controls how we burn and store calories from various foods, and the test claims to sort out this machinery. A study this week found that women on diets well-matched to their genes, as defined by the test, lost roughly five times more weight than those on mismatched diets.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Can't lose weight on a low-fat diet? Maybe you need to cut carbs instead, and a new genetic test may point the way, maker Interleukin Genetics Inc reported on Wednesday.

The small study of about 140 overweight or obese women showed that those on diets "appropriate" for their genetic makeup lost more weight than those on less appropriate diets, researchers told an American Heart Association meeting.

Lisa Rinna claims Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller's kids are in good hands ... because they're being taken care of by her former nanny.

Rinna told TMZ she and Harry Hamlin used the nanny for 6 years -- and added that the woman is "incredible."

As we first reported, Charlie was officially admitted into rehab last night at 8:00 PM.

Shopping Center: Rinna/Hamlin Owe Us $600k Lisa Rinna ... Sucks Lisa Rinna: Good Genes or Good Docs?

NEW YORK -- Why people stutter has long been a mystery, with the condition blamed over the years on emotional problems, overbearing parents and browbeating teachers. Now, for the first time, scientists have found genes that could explain some cases of stuttering.

Researchers taking part in a government-funded study discovered mutations in three genes that appear to cause the speech problem in 9 percent of stuttering cases. Stuttering tends to run in families, and previous research suggested a genetic connection.

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health have discovered the first genes linked to stuttering - a complex of three mutated genes that may be responsible for one in every 11 stuttering cases, especially in people of Asian descent.

have long suspected that stuttering has genetic roots, as it's often seen in families and twins, but this is the first time they've identified genes linked to the problem.

When she was a girl, Jane Fraser recalls her father, Malcolm, asking her to give their name when they checked into a hotel.

Malcolm Fraser was one of the founders of the Genuine Parts Company, which is now part of NAPA Auto Parts. But this successful man was also a stutterer.

"It's all over my family, and a lot of us stuttered as children but got therapy early on," said Jane Fraser, noting that she received speech therapy because of the suspicion at the time that stuttering runs in families. For her, the therapy may have spared her from the condition.

new york - why people stutter has long been a medical mystery, with the condition attributed over the years to emotional problems, overbearing parents, and browbeating teachers. now, for the first time, scientists have found genes that could explain

around one per cent of the population suffer from a stutter at some time during their lives and it has been assumed it was a symptom of severe anxiety. but now research has discovered three genes that appear to be linked to the condition

new york (ap) - why people stutter has long been a medical mystery, with the condition blamed over the years on emotional problems, overbearing parents and browbeating teachers. now, for the first time, scientists have found genes that could explain

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have identified the first gene mutations linked to stuttering.

Surprisingly, the three genes are also linked to some very severe and rare metabolic disorders, but most stutterers are only affected by the speech problem. The researchers estimate that these mutations account for about 9 percent of stuttering cases.

"This is the first gene information that will tell somebody that they're predisposed to develop this type of stuttering," said Dr. Robert Marion, director of the Center for Congenital Disorders at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. He was not involved in the study.

SUNDAY, Feb. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists have discovered genetic variants that are associated with biological aging, a finding that could explain why some people seem to age faster than others.

The researchers, who report their findings Feb. 7 in the journal Nature Genetics, analyzed more than 500,000 genetic variations in search of those linked to aging.

According to study co-leader Dr. Nilesh Samani, a professor of cardiology at the University of Leicester, there are two forms of aging: chronological (based on how old something is in the traditional sense) and biological (in which cells of some people are older or younger than their chronological age).

An estimated 700,000 people in the UK are morbidly obese

A small number of extremely overweight people may be missing the same chunk of genetic material, claim UK researchers.

The findings, published in the journal Nature, could offer clues to whether obesity can be "inherited" in some cases.

Imperial College London scientists found dozens of people - all severely obese - who lacked approximately the same 30 genes.

They are more likely to be high-performers if their parents are teachers, academics and lawyers, said Professor Woodhead.

He said ministers should accept that some children were born "not very bright" and stop convincing themselves otherwise.