http://www.bionews.org.uk/ The principal aim of BioNews is to provide accurate, balanced and timely news and comment on genetics, assisted conception, embryo/stem cell research and related areas. Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:05:56 GMT Ultimate Database Ltd. http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=128449 http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=128449 The family court has been making law on known donors, with a number of recent disputes between known sperm donors and lesbian mothers... Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:35:48 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=128282 http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=128282 With clear and concise information, the 'Genes and Life' DVD serves its purpose as an introduction to the field of genetics. However, it quickly became quite repetitive and lacked the entertainment value that would have taken it beyond merely an educational DVD... Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:04:45 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=128441 http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=128441 The Pulse-Project is a website which offers a wide range of freely accessible audio and video lectures on the sciences and medical humanities... Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:04:27 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=127681 http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=127681 Lawyers representing British Columbia's government were at the Canadian province's Court of Appeal last Tuesday attempting to overturn an earlier ruling which would effectively end anonymous gamete donation... Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:52:32 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=128398 http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=128398 It is evident that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has succeeded in reducing its costs and operating with greater financial efficiency. This is in part reflected in the remarkable £3.4 million of surplus funds held by the HFEA which was discussed at the recent Authority meeting in January and subsequently reported in the media... Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:46:02 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=128416 http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=128416 I was shocked when I heard the news that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has built up the princely sum of approximately £3.4 million in its bank account. The HFEA explains that this surplus has arisen over recent years due to prudent budgeting... Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:41:22 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=127609 http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=127609 The UK's fertility watchdog, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), has amassed cash reserves of around £3.4 million from charges to the clinics it licenses, prompting calls for the money to be given back to those seeking IVF treatment.... Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:37:43 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=127756 http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=127756 A mutation in the largest human gene causes 25 percent of a type of inherited heart disease, according to scientists. The information could be incorporated into current genetic tests to provide early diagnosis and clinical intervention... Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:45:17 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=127831 http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=127831 Twenty completely inactive genes have been identified by scientist studying so called 'loss of function' mutations in the human genome... Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:44:05 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=127654 http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=127654 The state parliament in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, is considering whether sperm and egg donors' details should be mandatorily recorded on their children's birth certificate.... Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:39:15 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=127710 http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=127710 What time of day it is could influence whether or not we get an infection. A protein known to be involved in the immune system may be influenced by the body's circadian rhythm, according to researchers at Yale University... Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:36:10 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=127575 http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=127575 A stem cell-based therapy aiming to reverse the damage caused by heart attacks has shown positive results in an early clinical trial... Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:06:50 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=127784 http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=127784 Skin cells from volunteers with Down's syndrome have been turned into brain cells in order to provide a new model for researchers to study Alzheimer's disease... Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:00:37 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=124860 http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=124860 Mitochondrial diseases are soon to be brought to the attention of the general public, as the Government seeks to gauge the attitude of the nation towards a ground-breaking IVF treatment that could prevent these conditions being passed from mother to child... Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:54:57 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=124715 http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=124715 The advent of PGD extended the scope of IVF beyond the treatment of infertility. PGD is predominantly used to prevent transmission of genetic defects arising from mutations in nuclear DNA. However, it can also be used to reduce the risk of transmitting mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which cause a range of debilitating and life-threatening diseases... Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:51:25 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=124884 http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=124884 Following a brutal acid attack, Katie Piper has undergone 109 operations to rebuild her face, however it is the 110th that could change her life. By using pioneering stem cell treatment, Katie hopes to restore the sight to her badly damaged left eye... Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:37:54 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=124308 http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=124308 A genetic variant has been linked to an increased risk of a common type of stroke. Researchers identified an alteration in a gene called HDAC9 that is more common in people who have had an ischaemic stroke than in those who have not. The study also replicated variants previously associated with subtypes of ischaemic strokes... Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:37:23 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=124354 http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=124354 US researchers have received approval to test whether cord blood stem cells could be used to reverse hearing loss in children... Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:33:36 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=124342 http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=124342 Three women have reported a significant improvement in sight following gene therapy in both their eyes. Initially, they received the therapy in just one eye, but this latest study demonstrates the treatment was also successful in the other... Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:32:45 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=124325 http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=124325 Human brain cells with Parkinson's disease have been successfully grown in a Petri dish, allowing researchers to study them in unprecedented detail. Researchers used a technique in which skin cells are transformed into induced pluripotent stem cells, which can then be made to change into any cell type - in this case, neurons... Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:24:50 GMT