A 53-year-old UK woman has given birth to a child she was carrying for her daughter, leading many in the media to exclaim that she 'has given birth to her own grandchild'. Annie Casserley acted as a surrogate for her daughter, 35-year old Emma Hattersley, who has a...
A US woman who became infertile after cancer treatment has stunned doctors by becoming pregnant naturally, following a transplant of ovarian tissue into her abdomen. Ann Dauer, from Canton, Ohio has now given birth to a healthy baby girl, named Sienna. Mrs Dauer had one of her ovaries removed and...
The treasurer of the Australian state of Victoria has told a national government inquiry into cloning and stem cell research that scientists are being hampered by existing laws. John Brumby believes that 'therapeutic cloning' - research using stem cells derived from human embryos created using somatic cell nuclear transfer - should be...
Air pollution can damage sperm, reducing the chances of conception and raising the risk of miscarriage, say researchers based in the Czech Republic. The study, published in the journal Human Reproduction, also shows that a man's sperm quality will improve again if pollution levels drop. The findings show that the...
US scientists have found that mice lacking one copy of a gene involved in brain development take more risks than normal mice, and are less able to form 'emotional' memories. The study, carried out by researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, shows that the neuroD2 gene is crucial...
The Republican controlled Wisconsin state Senate has passed a bill which would ban all forms of human cloning. The State Governor, Jim Doyle, vowed to veto the measure. The day before the bill was successfully introduced, an amendment which would have allowed cloning for research whilst blocking reproductive cloning was...
Scientists have successfully restored fur growth in bald mice, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports. The mice have a mutation in a gene called hairless, shared by both humans and mice, disruptions of which lead to changes in the natural process of hair growth, shedding and re-growth...
A new UK project to search for genetic variations that influence the risk of eight major diseases is set to begin, after receiving almost £9 million of funding. The Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC) will study over 19,000 DNA samples to identify genetic 'signposts' for tuberculosis susceptibility, heart disease...
Natallie Evans, a British woman seeking the right to be able to use her own frozen IVF embryos, has asked the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to consider her case. Last December, the UK's highest court - the House of Lords - refused to hear her appeal, after her case was...
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What can one nation learn from another? Exploring policy choice in the new Canadian framework for assisted human reproduction.
by Mavis Jones
The current public consultation on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) Act, according to the government's official statement, is intended 'to ensure that the law remains effective and fit for purpose in the early 21st century'. The HFE Act has managed to maintain political authority over its 15 year tenure...