US scientists hunting for possible causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have identified 34 possible genetic variations that may contribute to the disease. A team based at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore pinpointed the regions after studying DNA from 276 patients and 271...
The California state stem cell funding initiative, Proposition 71, successfully kicked off on 23 February after a delay of years, with the announcement of who will receive the first wave of research grants - totalling around $45 million (£22.5 million) - for human embryonic stem (ES) cell research. The...
The UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has decided to allow women to donate eggs for research, regardless of whether they are undergoing IVF treatment. The decision also permits women to be reimbursed up to £250 for expenses incurred, such as travel or child care - but...
Proposals by the UK Government to permit the genetic alteration of human embryos for research purposes are paving the way for 'GM humans', according to David King, director of pressure group Human Genetics Alert (HGA). However, scientists disagree, saying that such research should be permitted, as it...
Recent research published online in the journal Nature Genetics has revealed new genetic variations which may contribute to autism. Autism, along with related conditions such as Asperger syndrome, is characterised by a range of severity and symptoms. The conditions are therefore collectively known as autistic spectrum...
In BioNews 395, we published an article on the news that all newborn babies in England will be offered screening for the rare metabolic disorder Medium Chain Acyl CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency (MCADD). In it, we stated that this condition 'affects between 10,000 and 20,000 UK babies a year'. This should...
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The BBC, the HFEA and the UK's best-performing IVF doctor: Trial by media?
by Cheryl Hudson
Assisted reproduction patients are protesting in an unprecedented way after the recent broadcast of a highly critical BBC documentary about the UK's top IVF clinic. The Assisted Reproduction and Gynaecology Centre (ARGC) in London is under ongoing investigation by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) on a variety of...