The UK's Gene Therapy Advisory Committee (GTAC) published its ninth annual report last week. It has also released a set of recommendations on gene therapy trials that use retroviruses, the technique used by scientists at the Necker hospital in Paris to treat an inherited immune disorder. Eleven boys with X-linked...
The UK Court of Appeal gave detailed reasons last week for its decision in April to allow Raj and Shahana Hashmi to proceed with IVF treatment with embryo tissue typing in order to attempt to have a child who could save their existing son, Zain. Zain has thalassaemia, an inherited...
The University of Manchester will host the UK Biobank, a project that aims to collect DNA samples and medical information from up to 500,000 volunteers aged between 45-69 years. The £45 million undertaking, jointly funded by the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust and the Department of Health, will...
The UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is to amend its code of practice later this year to make sure that all people who have stored embryos following IVF treatment are informed before any of them are destroyed. In December last year, a change to the law was called...
Scientists from the US biotechnology company Genzyme have published research that suggests that 'adult' stem cells may be more useful than was previously indicated. Scientists and pressure groups opposed to research on human embryos have asked on numerous occasions whether embryonic stem (ES) cell research is even necessary. There is...
A team of UK researchers has identified a gene involved in asthma and other allergies, which they say could lead to better treatment and understanding of the illnesses. The scientists, based at Oxford University, found that alterations in a gene called PHF11 affect the production of the proteins involved in...
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Will the Hashmi ruling mean a free-for-all?
by Juliet Tizzard
This week's BioNews reports on the latest news about the Hashmi family, who were recently given leave to continue with an embryo screening which might provide life-saving treatment for their son, Zain. A Court of Appeal ruling in April gave them the go-ahead, but details of the three judges' decision...