Issue 419 (07 August 2007)

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The Human Tissue and Embryos Bill: a chance for further debate

06 August 2007 - by Dr Mark Hamilton

Last week saw the publication of the UK parliamentary report of the Joint Committee on the Human Tissue and Embryos (Draft) Bill. The government is now tasked to respond over the next two months in time for the Bill to be included in the Queen's Speech in November. Certain key...[Read More]

Successful ovarian transplant produces embryo

06 August 2007 - by Katy Sinclair

Belgian doctors have announced the first successful transplant of ovarian tissue between non-identical sisters; and are reported to have fertilised a subsequent embryo. Although the embryo failed to develop, the procedure may offer new hope to women who become infertile following cancer therapy. Teresa Alvaro became infertile...[Read More]

Two new genes linked to Multiple Sclerosis

06 August 2007 - by Stuart Scott

After more than three decades of dead-ends and dismay for researchers and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) sufferers alike, two new genes have finally been identified that are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of MS: the most common neurological disease affecting young adults. Back in 1972, the...[Read More]

Unexpected breakthrough revealed from Hwang cloning scandal

06 August 2007 - by Antony Blackburn-Starza

The disgraced South Korean stem cell scientist, Woo Suk Hwang, whose spectacular fall from grace dominated the newspaper headlines early last year, has been credited with 'accidentally' creating the world's fisrt stem cells produced from an unfertilised human egg. An international collaboration of scientists last week published...[Read More]

Genes influence emotional memory

06 August 2007 - by Rose Palmer

Neuroscientists in Switzerland have identified a gene that influences the recall of emotionally charged memories. Dominique de Quervain, and colleagues, at the University of Zurich published a study in Nature Neuroscience last week reporting that subjects with the gene variant ADRA2B performed better on recall tests for...[Read More]

Parliament supports children's right to know of donor conception

06 August 2007 - by MacKenna Roberts

A UK all party parliamentary committee has recommended that children born through fertility treatments involving donated sperm or eggs should have this information recorded on their birth certificates. The MPs and Peers stated that children have a right to know of their donated biological parentage and believe...[Read More]

Parliamentary committee recommends sweeping changes to the Human Tissue and Embryos (Draft) Bill

06 August 2007 - by Danielle Hamm

A joint UK parliamentary committee, established to scrutinise the Human Tissue and Embryos (Draft) Bill, has recommended that fundamental changes be made to the Bill before it commences its passage through parliament. The draft Bill will replace the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, which frames the...[Read More]