US researchers working on mice have reported that some animals may be 'unclonable' because of their genetic make-up. Their findings, reported in this month's Nature Genetics, show that some strains of mice may have more clone-friendly genes than others. 'We didn't expect it, but we found tremendous variability', said William...
A ten year international collaboration led by three British cancer charities is homing in on a gene involved in testicular cancer, known as TGCT1. Testicular germ-cell cancer is the commonest cancer among young men in Western Europe and its incidence is on the increase worldwide. Men who inherit the mutant...
Scientists at the Royal Ottawa Hospital in Canada have made claims that they have identified a 'suicide gene', a gene that may predispose certain people to commit suicide. Those who carry the mutated gene are said to be more than twice as likely to kill themselves than those without the...
Biotechnology stocks are being tipped to 'do in 2000 what Internet stocks did in 1999' - that is, make money. The reason for this, it is postulated, is that 'we are on the brink of a revolution in drug discovery and manufacture, which will result, ultimately, in customised medicines'. This is...
Scientists have found that the genes involved in the production of sperm have been evolving at a much faster rate than most other human genes. This insight into the evolution of human procreation has been extracted from the DNA data of the federal human genome project. The scientists, from the...
A team of American scientists has produced the first non-human primate clone. Tetra, a Rhesus monkey baby, was born in September last year at the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center in the US. However, the creation of Tetra was not, done by nuclear transfer as Dolly the sheep was. Instead...
Scientists at PPL Therapeutics have announced that 'humanised' milk could be produced from genetically modified cows. PPL has already given human genes to three cows to make them produce alpha-lactalbumin, a protein normally only found in human breast milk. The protein contains chemicals which are essential for the healthy development...
New research has suggested that many miscarriages, birth defects and neonatal deaths may be caused by a genetic defect. Researchers at the University of Toronto, Canada, have shown that many women may be susceptible to miscarriage or of having children with birth defects if they carry genes for a common...
This week's announcement by Celera Genomics that it has DNA sequences totalling more than 90 percent of the genome in its database has certainly increased the value of Celera on the stock market. However, it has also brought the public/private genomics debate back to life. Celera officials openly admit...
Vascular gene transfer may offer new treatments for cardiovascular diseases. A group of researchers, led by Professor John Martin of University College London, with funding from the European Union, has identified and is developing a gene that could prevent atherosclerosis, ischaemia and other vascular conditions. The group has been working...
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