Following statements made last week by the US Health and Human Services Secretary, Tommy Thompson, it is thought that the Bush administration will reach a decision about embryonic stem cell research within the next few weeks. Thompson is confident that a 'compromise position' can be found, allowing research to go...
Stem cells taken from umbilical cord blood may represent a breakthrough in the treatment of adult leukaemia and other blood diseases. Researchers from a number of US University Hospitals have transplanted cord blood stem cells into 68 adults unrelated to the donor. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine...
A report in the Mail on Sunday says that a British couple have paid almost £40,000 to 'create' a 'perfect baby' in the US. Inspired by the case of Molly Nash last year, a British woman who has a four-year old son with leukaemia has 'made medical history by becoming...
In a referendum on Sunday, the people of Slovenia voted to overturn a new law which would have allowed single women and lesbians access to in vitro fertilisation (IVF). The opponents of the law managed to force a referendum by gaining the support of 34 of the 90 politicians in...
A gene variation that is known to be linked to Alzheimer's disease and cardiovascular problems has also now been linked to sleep apnoea, a condition in which sufferers snore and have lapses in breathing while they sleep. Breathing lapses can occur when the muscles in the mouth and throat relax...
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Should IVF be restricted to married women?
by Juliet Tizzard
This week's BioNews reports on news from Slovenia that a referendum has ruled against in vitro fertilisation (IVF) for unmarried women. This will mean that not only lesbians and single women, but also unmarried couples will be denied treatment. In Europe, it is very rare for such hefty restrictions to...