France to recognise surrogate children
One of France's highest courts ruled on Friday that children born to surrogates abroad have the right to have their births and citizenship recognised by the state...
News
Image by Bill Sanderson via the Wellcome Collection, © Wellcome Trust Ltd 1990. Depicts Laocoön and his family (from Greek and Roman mythology) entwined in coils of DNA.
Victoria to consider retrospectively lifting donor anonymity
The Australian state of Victoria has revealed plans to extend rules removing donor anonymity to allow all donor-conceived people access to identifying information about their sperm or egg donor, irrespective of the donor's consent or when they donated...
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
New, single-gene form of obesity and diabetes identified
A new form of obesity and type 2 diabetes that is caused by a mutation in a single gene has been discovered...
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
Increased genetic diversity has led to taller, more intelligent population
A large-scale review of genetic data from a number of different studies has suggested that diverse parental genes can lead to offspring who are taller and have increased cognitive ability...
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
Gene therapy for cystic fibrosis shows promise
A new gene therapy technique for treating cystic fibrosis has shown potential in a new study...
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
US Congress moves to block embryo editing
The US Congress has released a bill that would prohibit the Food and Drug Administration from spending any money in relation to projects that involve editing the human genome...
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
Switzerland votes for PGD
In a national referendum, a majority of Swiss voters have supported allowing preimplantation genetic diagnosis to screen for genetic diseases...
Reviews
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts equipment used for embryo biopsy.
Radio Review: Banking on Birmingham - the National Sperm Bank
Banking on Birmingham: the National Sperm Bank was a half-hour documentary on BBC Radio 4 that looked at the opening of a new national British sperm bank in Birmingham...
Comment
When sperm banking went crackers
by Professor Allan Pacey
When I was first telephoned by a journalist to ask what I thought about the proposal that the NHS should pay for the sperm banking of every 18-year-old male in order to guard against reproductive ageing, I said just one word: 'Crackers!'...