A US study, published in the journal The Lancet last week, reported that all twelve Parkinson's patients who took part in the world's first gene therapy trial for brain disease improved markedly without experiencing side-effects. Under the care of Dr Michael Kaplitt and colleagues of the New...
Researchers have reported success in creating embryonic stem (ES) cell lines from cloned Rhesus monkey embryos, bringing the possibility of human therapeutic cloning closer. Dr Shoukhrat Mitalipov, of the Oregon National Primate Research Centre, announced his success - which was achieved through a modified somatic cell nuclear transfer...
The US company Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) has successfully produced human embryonic stem (ES) cells without destroying any embryos. The research was announced by Robert Lanza, Vice President of ACT, at the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) meeting in Australia. The technique involves removing a...
President Bush has again vetoed legislation that would relax federal funding restrictions on human embryonic stem (ES) cell research in the US, despite it having been passed by large majorities in both the House and the Senate. In the third veto of his presidency, Bush said the...
A survey of 1,020 infertile American couples with stored frozen embryos found that 49 per cent would prefer to donate some or all of their surplus embryos to general medical research, while a 60 per cent majority would prefer to donate their embryos specifically to embryonic stem...
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Governing genetic databases - collection, storage and use
by Sue Gibbons
Human genetics research is undergoing rapid and dramatic growth. Over recent years, human genetic databases, or 'biobanks', have burgeoned in number, size and sophistication. Many countries are developing population-scale collections, such as UK Biobank, to investigate complex common diseases. Meanwhile, both biomedical researchers and criminal forensic scientists are seeking greater...