Puberty starts when a key gene called KiSS-1 switches on, US researchers say. The team, based at the University of Pittsburgh, say that the gene makes a protein that switches on another gene, which then triggers the production of reproductive hormones. The research, published in the journal Proceedings of...
In his State of the Union speech last week, US President George Bush expressed his support for the advancement of science, but made a pledge to support a 'culture of life', calling for a ban on the creation of embryos for research purposes. 'To build a culture of life, we...
A court in Illinois, US, has ruled that a couple can take a 'wrongful death' action over an IVF embryo that was accidentally discarded at a fertility clinic. Alison Miller and Todd Parrish were undergoing treatment at the Centre for Human Reproduction in Chicago in 2002, and had stored nine...
The mother of a UK woman who died giving birth to another couple's child has said she intends to fight for custody of the baby. Marilyn Caltabiano says she wants the commissioning parents to hand over the baby boy so that she can give him to a younger, childless couple...
A team of Australian researchers has developed a gene therapy treatment that they say could one day replace electronic pacemakers in people with heart damage. The scientists, based at the Children's Medical Research Institute in Sydney, have managed to electrically excite fibroblast cells growing in the laboratory. The treated cells...
A new type of stem cell isolated from human bone marrow could have all the medical potential of embryonic stem (ES) cells, US researchers say. However, not all scientists are convinced of that the cells are as versatile as they appear to be, according to a report in the Washington...
US researchers have managed to grow motor neurons, using human embryonic stem (ES) cells, in the laboratory for the first time. The scientists, based at the University of Wisconsin, say their achievement could help research into motor neurone disease. It may eventually be possible to treat the condition using transplants...
Ruth Kelly, the UK's recently appointed Minister for Education, has confirmed that she supports the government's policy on embryonic stem (ES) cell research and other issues, despite being a member of the 'ultra-orthodox' Catholic Opus Dei prelature. Since becoming Education Secretary, Ms Kelly has faced increasing pressure to reveal where...
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Comment
Science, religion and a 'culture of life'
by Professor Kirsty Horsey
As we report in BioNews this week, President George Bush has pledged support for a 'culture of life' in American science. In his view, this means pursuing his policy on embryonic stem (ES) cell funding, and refusing to allow federal funds for researchers working to create ES cell lines. It...