Issue 667 (30 July 2012)

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What is the role of genetics in sports?

30 July 2012 - by Sandy Starr

Last year, the Progress Educational Trust (PET) conducted a poll as part of its Wellcome Trust supported project 'Genes, Ancestry and Racial Identity: Does It Matter Where Your Genes Come From?' At three public events held under this project's auspices, attendees were asked to suggest questions for PET to put to the public, and the resulting online poll elicited 637 responses... [Read More]

An eggsample of why it is hard to prove a negative

30 July 2012 - by Professor Robin Lovell-Badge

Earlier this year, a paper claimed to have found cells, called ovarian stem cells, in the adult ovaries of both mice and humans. These cells could apparently be grown in large numbers in the lab and could retain the ability to give rise to eggs. A new study finds no evidence for the existence of germline progenitors able to produce eggs in postnatal ovaries. Is a lack of evidence sufficient to win the argument?... [Read More]

Anti-cancer drug could be used in treatment for HIV

30 July 2012 - by Dr Daniel Grimes

Scientists have discovered that an anti-cancer drug can revive dormant HIV thereby allowing therapies to act upon the low level inactive virus particles that hide in patients' immune cells and have, until now, been unsusceptible to treatment... [Read More]

US court ruling frees regulator to police stem cell therapies

30 July 2012 - by Ruth Retassie

A US federal court has ruled that a stem cell product is classified as a 'drug', falling under the jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The ruling allows the FDA to regulate stem cell therapy in the USA and could open clinics that offer stem cell treatments open to federal liability... [Read More]

Aggressive brain cancer linked to gene fusion

30 July 2012 - by Dr Zara Mahmoud

Some cases of glioblastoma - a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer - may be due a genetic mutation where two separate genes fuse into one, scientists report... [Read More]

Stem cell-based windpipe transplant: patient is healthy two years later

30 July 2012 - by Daryl Ramai

The Irish boy who had pioneering surgery two years ago to implant a new windpipe partially derived from his own stem cells is healthy and back at school. A follow-up study published in The Lancet medical journal reports that Ciaran Finn-Lynch, now 13, is breathing normally and no longer needs anti-rejection medication... [Read More]

Liposuction fat used to create blood vessels

30 July 2012 - by Greg Ball

Adult stem cells extracted from liposuctioned fat have been used to grow new blood vessels, according to scientists presenting their work at a conference. The researchers hope that one day their technique could be used in vascular surgery... [Read More]

Gene therapy nears approval as European regulator makes recommendation

30 July 2012 - by Dr Rosie Morley

The European Medicines Agency has recommended European Union market approval for a gene therapy, Glybera, to treat patients with severe cases of a rare genetic condition called lipoprotein lipase deficiency... [Read More]

Race to sequence genomes of 100 centenarians gets first entrant and delayed start date

30 July 2012 - by Dr Nadeem Shaikh

A US company has taken up the challenge to sequence 100 genomes in 30 days... [Read More]

Event Review: 1000 Genomes Project Community Meeting

30 July 2012 - by Dr Sarah Spain

The 1000 Genomes Project, an initiative to sequence the genetic code of 2,500 people across five continents, has now successfully sequenced over 1,000 people's genomes... [Read More]

Radio Review: The New Elizabethans - Robert Edwards

30 July 2012 - by Cait McDonagh

'The New Elizabethans', Radio 4's series profiling the great and the good of the last 60 years, turned to the life and achievements of Sir Robert Edwards, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for his pioneering work on IVF... [Read More]