Research published in the journal Nature last week has pinpointed a mutated form of a gene which prevents carriers from feeling pain. It is hoped the research might offer potential new ways to treat severe pain. The research, carried out by Dr Geoffrey Woods, from the...
Researchers at the Children's Hospital Boston, have developed a technique in mice to derive stem cells from a single egg coaxed to divide. The technique of forcing an egg cell to begin division without fertilisation by a sperm cell - known as parthenogenesis - has been achieved before, but...
Professor Austin Smith, of the UK's University of Cambridge, has told The Times newspaper that the promise of cloning for medical purposes has been oversold. He said that the high profile given to cloning research and science distorts the picture of its potential, risking public perception...
An international team of researchers has discovered that an altered version of a gene called Palladin causes an inherited form of pancreatic cancer. The findings, published online in the journal PloS Medicine, also reveal that the same gene is involved in sporadic cases of the disease...
The first child patient to receive stem cells derived from fetal brain tissue is said to be doing well after the procedure. Daniel Kerner, a six year old from Orange County, California, US, who suffers from the rare brain disorder Batten's disease, underwent the risky and experimental...
On Thursday 14 December, UK Public Health Minister Caroline Flint announced the publication of the British Government's proposals for a major overhaul of the law on assisted human reproduction and embryo research. The proposals, contained in a new 'White Paper', follow an extensive public consultation exercise...
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Where is the debate about RATE?
by Veronica English
In its White Paper on the review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, the UK Government has reaffirmed its intention to merge the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) and the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) to form a single regulatory body - RATE - the Regulatory Authority for Tissues and Embryos...