Great Ormond Street Hospital in London has a brand new laboratory which will be used for research into genetic diseases and especially gene therapy for sick children. The new unit is partly funded by the Jeans for Genes campaign (see Recommends for details) and the Institute for Child Health. The...
The acting head of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) has said that sex selection of children for non-medical reasons is sometimes acceptable. Responding to an enquiry made by Dr Norbert Gleicher, chairman of the board of the Center for Human Reproduction, acting head Dr John Robertson said that...
A report in the journal Nature says that scientists in China have inserted human DNA into rabbit eggs that have been stripped of their own chromosomes. The team, from the Sun Yat-Sen University of Medical Sciences in Guangzhou, hopes to use the resulting 'hybrid embryos' in embryo stem (ES) cell...
A team of scientists from Leeds and Manchester have shown that ovarian transplants may be successful in preserving the fertility of women who have recovered from cancer. Previously, these women faced becoming infertile because cancer treatments using drugs or radiation could damage their ovaries. The team, led by Dr Samuel...
A two-year old British boy has reignited the debate about so-called 'designer babies'. Zain Hashmi has beta thalassaemia major, a rare genetic blood disorder. He has a blood transfusion every four weeks, but doctors have warned that he will die unless a suitable bone marrow donor can be found for...
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A technique that promotes welfare for all
by Juliet Tizzard
Over the next few days, the media is likely to be mulling over the story of Mr and Mrs Hashmi. The couple would like to use preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to have a child both free from beta thalassaemia and who would be a suitable blood donor to two-year old...