Reprogrammed mouse skin cells yield mice that can breed
Chinese scientists have created 27 healthy mice from reprogrammed cells known as induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. The iPS cells were reprogrammed from adult mouse skin cells by modifying four key genes using retroviruses, turning them into an embryo-like state. iPS cells are a hot research topic at present as they offer the prospect of a limitless supply of an individual's own stem cells if the technique is replicated in humans, potentially avoiding the pitfal...
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Welcome to the first new look BioNews by email
by Sarah Norcross
We are pleased to announce that following years of dealing with out-of-date technology and increasing competition, the BioNews website and the free BioNews by email service have been overhauled...
The Press, Public Debate and the Public Understanding of Ethics
by Ben Jones
Many of the developments in the biosciences reported on in BioNews involve novel moral issues or further complicate existing ethical debates. While concerns about the efficacy or safety of a new therapy inevitably lead to calls for further action within the scientific community - more research, bigger studies, better analysis - ethical worries instead result in calls for non-specialist external validation, consultation exercises, public debate and engagement. While the public are put i