In BioNews 360, we published a story about a baby born following the implantation of an embryo that had been frozen for 16 years. It has been brought to our attention that there is no evidence that embryo quality deteriorates during extended storage times, contrary to the impression given in...
A survey conducted by patient support group Infertility UK (IN UK) has shown that a third of people undergoing fertility treatment are unwilling to tell their employers, due to fears that it could harm their career. The survey, which was carried out on around 300 patients, has...
On the 10th June 2006, National Infertility Day, Dame Suzi Leather - Chair of the UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) - spoke about the need for information on the cost of infertility treatment, improvement in customer care and called for access to fertility treatment to be improved...
Research ranging from tackling muscle regeneration for injured athletes to a potential cure for haemophilia has been presented at the American Society of Gene Therapy meeting at Baltimore, Maryland. A team from the University of Pittsburgh has successfully used gene therapy techniques to promote accelerated skeletal muscle...
A new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has found that sperm quality may deteriorate as men age. The study, which involves a relatively small number of volunteer subjects, was conducted at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. Ninety-seven healthy, non-smoking...
UK researchers have been given the go-ahead to investigate the potential of human testicle stem cells to develop into other types of body tissue The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has licenced the team, based at the Hammersmith Hospital in London, to study the cells...
The first clinical trial based on a promising new technology called RNA interference (RNAi) has shown that it could soon be used to treat an eye disorder. The trial was designed to test the safety of the technique for treating a disease called wet age-related macular...
Researchers at Harvard University in the US have been granted permission to produce embryonic stem (ES) cells from cloned human embryos, two years after they first sought approval for the work. One research team, led by Doug Melton and Kevin Eggan, plans to ask women living...
Stay up-to-date on all the latest developments in the fields of human fertility and genomics. And be the first to hear about upcoming events and other announcements.
Comment
Testicular stem cells: more stem cell confusion
by Peter Hollands
This week's BioNews report on possible therapeutic uses of testicular stem cells helps to highlight the level of confusion and lack of focus in stem cell biology today. Sources of stem cells such as embryos, testicles and ovaries are technically difficult to manipulate and have worrying, potentially malignant properties should...