The process by which two DNA molecules exchange genetic information. In meiosis, exchange can take place between maternal and paternal chromosomes leading to a novel combination of genetic material in the egg or sperm.
The biological basis of a rare congenital disorder has been clarified, thanks to stem cell technology. The researchers say their work shows how advances in stem cell science can provide insights into genetic conditions...
Earlier this year, a paper claimed to have found cells, called ovarian stem cells, in the adult ovaries of both mice and humans. These cells could apparently be grown in large numbers in the lab and could retain the ability to give rise to eggs. A new study finds no evidence for the existence of germline progenitors able to produce eggs in postnatal ovaries. Is a lack of evidence sufficient to win the argument?...
Results of the first study to sequence the genomes of individual sperm cells obtained from one person have revealed significant genetic differences between them, confirming the belief that each sperm is unique. It is hoped the technique could be applied in fertility treatments to identify genetic mutations that may occur in the recombination process...
Men may not be on the brink of extinction after all, according to a study on the evolution of the human Y chromosome. Previous research has suggested that the Y sex chromosome, carried only by men, is decaying genetically at such a rate that men would become extinct in five million years' time...
Scientists have identified genetic changes responsible for the rare skin condition, ichthyosis with confetti (IWC). They also discovered that skin cells from patients with IWC can eliminate the genetic mutation that causes the disease...
Turner Syndrome, a condition in which women have only one X chromosome instead of two, may be caused by a missing Y chromosome instead of a missing X as previously thought. Research published in Cell at the start of this month suggests that disruption in the Y chromosome can cause a range of male sex disorders including, surprisingly, Turner Syndrome which has always previously been considered a female sex disorder....
A panel of experts assembled to investigate the death of an Illinois woman, who died unexpectedly after receiving an experimental gene therapy, last week concluded that there was insufficient evidence to suggest the therapy was directly responsible. The death of 36-year-old Jolee Mohr, who was being...
A gene therapy technique that repairs faulty genes by 'editing' their DNA could lead to new treatments for inherited blood disorders and HIV, say US researchers. The approach could help address safety concerns over current gene therapy methods, many of which rely on specially adapted viruses to deliver working genes...
A working group set up to advise the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) on the regulation of human gene therapy trials called for a greater involvement of the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee (RAC), reports last week's Nature. The conduct of gene therapy trials in the US has been subject...
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