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Welcome to BioNews by email, the free weekly news digest of the top stories in assisted conception, genetics, embryo/stem cell research and related areas, published by the Progress Educational Trust. Sent to registered subscribers each week, BioNews by email is aimed at informing debate in these areas by providing balanced and timely summaries of the week's news and developments alongside comment, reviews and recommendations of selected topical conferences, events and more. It also contains job advertisements from the relevant sectors.
Visit the BioNews website at www.bionews.org.uk where you can subscribe for free to receive BioNews by email in one of three formats, plus view more news, comment, reviews and job advertisements and search the full archive.
| Family history predicts high breast cancer risk despite negative gene tests |
| 23 November 2008 - by Sarah Guy |
| By Sarah Guy;A study undertaken in Canada shows that women who test negatively for gene mutations associated with breast cancer may still be at high risk if there is a strong presence of the disease in their family. Author of the study Dr Steven Narod, Canada Research Chair in... [Read More] |
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| Assisted reproduction associated with elevated risk of birth defects |
| 23 November 2008 - by Lorna Stewart |
| A study published last week in the journal Human Reproduction found an elevated risk of birth defects amongst babies conceived through assisted reproductive techniques, including IVF. The research, headed by Dr Jennita Reefhuis of the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, used data from the National... [Read More] |
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| World's first tissue-engineered whole organ transplant is a success |
| 23 November 2008 - by Adam Fletcher |
| By Adam Fletcher: A Colombian woman has become the world's first recipient of a windpipe grown in part from her own cells. Published in the Lancet journal last week, the team of surgeons from Spain, the UK and Italy, orchestrated the world's first tissue-engineered whole organ transplant. Professor Paolo Macchiarini... [Read More] |
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| New technology discovered for detecting cancer in the blood stream |
| 24 November 2008 - by Ben Jones |
| In a study published last week it was revealed that tumours release small sacs of genetic material that can be used to identify a tumour's exact type and which mutations it possesses. The study, produced by scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and published in the... [Read More] |
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| African and Asian genomes sequenced |
| 24 November 2008 - by Ailsa Stevens |
| Scientists have for the first time sequenced the complete diploid genomes of an Asian and an African. It is hoped that the research, published in the journal Nature, will help to shed light on how people from different ethnic backgrounds respond to medicine and help to explain... [Read More] |
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| Correction: Slow-frozen embryos seem to produce healthier babies in IVF |
| 24 November 2008 - by BioNews |
| In BioNews 484, we published a story reporting on new evidence to suggest that in IVF 'vitrified' embryos may be better than 'fresh' embryos. It has been brought to our attention that the technique used to store embryos in these studies was in fact 'slow-freezing', or 'controlled-rate freezing', and not... [Read More] |
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| Genetic tests no better than medical check ups for predicting diabetes |
| 24 November 2008 - by Dr Rebecca Robey |
| Genetic tests are no better at predicting an individual's risk of developing type-2 diabetes than conventional assessments based on family history and physical factors such as blood pressure and weight, according to a new study by US scientists. The research team, led by Dr. James Meigs... [Read More] |
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