Proteins produced by a living organism which act to bring about, or increase the rate of, a specific biochemical reaction.
Men considering having a vasectomy, believing the procedure might later be reversible, may want to think even more carefully about their decision. Research presented today in Cheltenham, UK, at the annual meeting of the British Fertility Society, suggests that even if the surgical effect of a vasectomy can be undone...
Researchers have developed a test that could identify individuals most at risk of developing lung cancer. Although most victims of lung cancer are smokers, only a minority of smokers develop lung cancer, suggesting that there may be a genetic predisposition to the disease. The team, led by Professor Zvi Livneh...
Whether you are good at sprinting or are better at long-distance running is partly down to which version of a gene called ACTN3 you inherit, Australian scientists reported last week. They found that world class sprinters are more likely to have at least one copy of the 'R' version of...
The 50th anniversary of the discovery of the structure of DNA presents a golden opportunity to take stock of what impact this and subsequent discoveries in molecular genetics have had and what it promises for the future of human health and happiness. Genetics is now big business. Worldwide anniversary celebrations...
A miniature piglet lacking both copies of a gene that would cause its organs to be rejected if transplanted into humans has been cloned by a US-based company. While pigs that have had these genes 'knocked-out' have been cloned before, the organs of the miniature pig are similar in size...
PPL Therapeutics, the Scottish biotechnology firm behind the creation of Dolly the sheep, has reported that it has produced four cloned piglets which may bring scientists a step closer to being able to use pig organs in human transplants. On Christmas Day last year, a set of piglets was born...
Italian and Israeli researchers have reported that they have successfully used gene therapy in conjunction with stem cell therapy to treat two children with an inherited immune system disorder. The research appears in the journal Science. The children in the study had a form of severe combined immunodeficiency disorder in...
What would it take to make you stop smoking, cut down your alcohol intake or eat more greens? Would personalised health advice based on a genetic test do the trick? In this week's BioNews we report on the criticism faced by Sciona, the UK company trying to market just such...
Stem cell therapy might eventually provide a treatment for muscular dystrophy, an illness which causes muscle wasting. Experiments in mice bred to have a condition resembling muscular dystrophy showed that some muscle strength could be restored using stem cells. Scientists from the University of Pittsburgh, US, took stem cells taken...
A litter of five cloned piglets was born on Christmas Day in Virginia, US. Named Noel, Angel, Star, Joy and Mary, the piglets had also been genetically altered so as to make their organs more compatible for transplant into humans. PPL Therapeutics, the commercial arm of the Roslin Institute which...
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