Mistakes in IVF treatment more than trebled in Britain during the last three years, according to figures from the UK's fertility regulator....
European researchers have shown a correlation between impaired embryo development and the fat levels of mother cows. Exposing eggs to high levels of saturated fatty acids affected the health of embryos produced by fertilising those eggs...
A new study has found that caffeine could help to block cancer formation in UV-sensitive mice by increasing the likelihood of damaged cells dying after sun exposure. The findings suggest caffeine could help protect against skin cancer by promoting the death of cells with damaged DNA....
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted its first patent associated with induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology to Professor Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University, Japan, for a technique used to reprogram fully differentiated somatic mouse cells into an embryonic-like state...
US researchers have made a discovery that might help doctors distinguish between benign and more aggressive forms of prostate cancer. The team reports that a difference in the genetic make-up of prostate tumours could indicate which are likely to metastasize and spread through the body, and which will be slow-growing and non-fatal...
Two US studies published this week have shed light on how a gene mutation can change the number of chromosomes present in the cells of more than 90 percent of cancers...
An Australian court has ruled that a lesbian couple can have the name of the sperm donor removed from their child's birth certificate....
UK Donor Link (UKDL) - the voluntary contact register for adults conceived with or who donated sperm or eggs before August 1991 - is threatened with closure...
The NHS may be at risk of being sued over patent infringement, says a new report published by the Human Genetics Commission (HGC), the UK Government's genetics advisory body...
Rise of the Planet of the Apes is this summer's big blockbuster and is directed by Rupert Wyatt. The film is a prequel to the other Planet of the Apes films and charts how the apes came to revolt. The basic storyline is thus; Dr Will Rodman (James Franco) is testing a gene therapy called ALZ-112 on chimps to find a cure for degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's...
In this first episode of a new documentary series, medical correspondent Dr Mark Porter investigated how developmental events in the womb have an astonishing impact on long-term adult health...
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
Fertility treatment in Germany
by Dr Petra Thorn
Germany is said to have one of the most restrictive legislation in the area of assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatments. In contrast to the UK, both oocyte donation and surrogacy are prohibited by the Embryo Protection Act. Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) has only become permissible as of July this year — it can now be carried out if the child will be born with a severe genetic disease, or if the embryo is so severely impaired that the pregnancy...
Sherley that's not ethical? A review of US law on embryo research
by MacKenna Roberts
Should human embryonic stem cell research be deemed unethical for its embryo destruction? The US court decision in Sherley v Sebelius on 27 July 2011 to allow federal funding of this research set a global precedent. The meaning of research was divided into two categories: that which directly involves embryo destruction and that which does not...