A survey of fertility experts' attitudes towards issues surrounding fertility treatment has revealed unease with the speed of new procedures being introduced to the market without more thorough clinical testing. 182 experts responded to the survey conducted by the British Fertility Society (BFS), the Science Media Centre...
Victor McKusick, 86, considered to be a founding father of medical genetics, died on Tuesday at his home in Baltimore, USA. Dr McKusick worked at Johns Hopkins University, USA, and spent over 40 years compiling the 'Mendelian Inheritance In Man' (MIM) database of all known genes and...
Two groups of scientists have identified a gene that they are describing as 'the missing link' between the body's biological clock and metabolism. The studies, published in the journal Cell, found that a gene called SIRT1, whose activity is modified by the body's metabolic state and was...
A group of US researchers have found a potential link between high levels of soya in the diet and low sperm concentration. The findings were reported in the journal Human Reproduction. Dr Jorge Chavarro led the study at the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public...
A rare but serious side effect experienced by people taking the cholesterol-lowering drugs statins may be avoided in up to 60 per cent of cases, according to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine last week. The University of Oxford-based research team identified a gene...
New Zealand's Advisory Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology (ACART) has announced two proposals to legalise currently prohibited fertility practices. It has published two consultation documents proposing first, that women should be allowed to use frozen eggs that had been extracted and stored prior to chemotherapy treatment for...
An Australian couple lost a high-profile medical negligence case against their specialist fertility consultant at the Canberra Fertility Clinic last week. The couple had alleged that Dr Sydney Armellin negligently transferred two embryos rather than one as specifically requested when they received IVF treatment in 2003, thereby...
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30 years on from Louise: questions of lifestyle miss the point
by Mark Hamilton
The publication at the end of last week of the results of a survey conducted by the British Fertility Society (BFS) in collaboration with the Science Media Centre provoked widespread media interest. Coinciding with the 30th Anniversary of the birth of Louise Brown, the exercise attempted to provide insight in...