A foundation called DNA-Prokids, established by Dr. Jose A. Lorente, uses DNA tests to match missing children up with the DNA of their parents. This foundation has, as of August 2012, reunited 550 children with their families, and stopped 200 illegal adoptions. Dr. Lorente had the idea of using DNA kits to match missing children with their families while looking at homeless street kids in the streets of Peru. He wanted to help these kids find the homes they had lost. Dr. Lorente then used his connections to push for the DNA collection of parents upon filing missing children’s reports in various countries, as well as the DNA collection of parents attempting to adopt off their children, in order to make sure that the adoption process is legal. Although he has exciting work, identifying the remains of famous figures, he finds that reuniting families is more fulfilling and heart-warming work.




I think that Dr. Lorente’s program should be implemented in every country. It is ingenious that he came up with the idea to trace families of missing kids through DNA, and I feel that with all of the still-missing kids in America, it is just one simple procedure that might increase the chances of finding missing children that much more. I don’t see any reason why countries should not embrace the idea of tracing missing children through DNA, if the program has been proven in aiding the union of many families already.

Understanding Family History and its Impact on Genetics

It is safe to say that most people have pondered what it would be like to age more slowly, or halt the aging process altogether. The reality is, we can only learn so many tips and tricks about prolonging our lives from our families and friends. Scientific evidence of the aging process reinforces the fact that we are all going to die some day. This simple fact propels scientists to study all the variables that have an effect on the aging process. Studies show that the lengthier the time our parents are alive; the higher chance we have of living a longer life. If an individual's biological mother or father lived to be over the age of 70, then that individual's risk of an early death drops by 17%. This number gets continuously smaller as his or her parents age of death progresses above 70. Children whose parents have outlived the age of 70 also have a lower risk of developing anemia, high cholesterol, stroke, hypertension, and heart disease in comparison to those offspring whose parents died below the age of 70. Although it is suspected that genetics play the most significant role in understanding a person’s expected life span, there are other factors such as behavior and the environment that come into play.

It is also important for those having children to be conscious of their family's genetic history. Awareness about diseases that have affected an individual's family may help him or her to recognize it in their own child earlier, sometimes preventing a disease from fully progressing. Families share more than just their genetic makeup, they share favorite foods, health habits, and a common environment. Because of this, it is not uncommon for members of a family to exhibit similar health issues. Knowing your history might help you to recognize the likelihood of your child developing certain health problems and get the ones they do have diagnosed sooner rather than later. The earlier you can catch a medical condition or hereditary disease, the better because you wouldn’t want your child to go on suffering or potentially have the condition get worse.

I found this article interesting because even though some of this is common knowledge, many people don’t take the time to understand their family history. Many people go throughout life avoiding visits to the doctor, and some go completely untreated with serious medical issues. Inheriting a harmful disease is obviously not the most ideal situation to be faced with, but it is better to be conscious of these types of things so you can get the proper medical attention when the time strikes. In addition to this, even if you don’t care about your own health, you should be conscious of it in case you ever decide to start a family.

Genetics Connected to Autism Spectrum Disorder

A team of UCLA students recently conducted a new study that portrayed that families containing more than one child on the autism spectrum had a difference in genetics in comparison with families containing only one child with the disorder. The study was centered around copy-number variations which are genetic changes, specifically gains or losses of genetic material. Research in the past has connected non-inherited CNVs, which began as a defected egg or sperm cell, to autism spectrum disorder in offspring that had no affected sibling. The findings of the current study included more than 12 new candidates for genes that were connected to the chance of autism spectrum disorders occurring. This study helps to give a clearer understanding of how genetic variation contributes to autism disorders.

The findings of this study identified that children with autism spectrum disorder who also have a brother or sister with the same disorder had inherited CNVs that had stronger influence that non-inherited CNVs did. The researchers predicted that this would happen but it had not previously been observed before. Scientists also found that affected children with an inherited genetic variation that was believed to be an autism spectrum disorder risk factor was not always the same in their affected siblings. It is likely that not all siblings with autism have the same disease–linked genetic variation.

The findings of this study are particularly interesting because it will help point scientists in the right direction to potentially discovering new therapies to help with the disorder. The more scientists understand about various disorders and diseases, especially when it comes to their genetic makeup, the better chance they have of finding cures and better ways to treat them, or maybe, even eliminate them all-together.