Scientists have found a new method of suppressing the automatic rejection of donated kidneys in transplant patients, by using the donor's stem cells. In a small trial carried out at Stanford University, California, eight out of 12 patients were able to stop taking anti-rejection drugs, which are usually a lifelong necessity, following this treatment....
The Faroe Islands is set to become the first region to sequence the genome of its entire population....
Mutations in a single gene have been identified as the cause of a severe and life-threatening form of hypoglycaemia...
US researchers have developed a way to analyse the viability of human eggs at a genetic level without causing them harm. This technology will help improve the chances of successful IVF for couples with fertility problems...
US scientists have for the first time created 'personalised' human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) using a form of cloning. The result is a significant milestone on the route to using stem cell-based therapies but the researchers stress more work is to be done as genetic errors in the cells means they are not yet suitable for therapeutic use....
A new gene has been associated with thickening of the heart which increases chances of heart failure. Researchers at Imperial College London found that faults in the gene called endocuclease G or 'Endog' influences the thickness of the muscular heart wall, how effectively the heart pumps blood and how much fat accumulates in the heart....
The winners of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2011 were announced on 3 October with an unusual twist — for the first time the accolade has been bestowed on someone posthumously. This is normally against the Nobel Assembly's rules, but Professor Ralph Steinman's untimely death on 30 September occurred after messages had been sent to him informing him of his success...
Being just slightly overweight can affect the chance of having a baby through IVF, according to a study at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust....
Plans to introduce broad powers to allow police to retain the DNA of innocent people should be abandoned, the UK Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) has said....
The 744-page book covers the causes of infertility, imaging techniques, assisted reproductive techniques, surrogacy, donor gametes and adoption...
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Comment
Aligning research legislation: interspecies embryos and animals containing human material
by Tara Camm
In 2008, important changes were made to the legislation governing the use of human embryos in research, the UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act (HFE Act) 1990. The legislation was extended to five categories of 'human admixed embryos' containing human and animal cellular or genetic components, which were brought within the licensing regime of the HFE Act...