A farewell

Since we launched in March 1999, I have written 207 commentaries for BioNews. But this, the 208th, will be my last. After 10 very happy years at Progress Educational Trust, it's time to move on. In the first commentary I wrote for BioNews, I promised that 'this commentary section will... [Read More]

What they said about Francis Crick

The recent death of Francis Crick, who, with James Watson, discovered the structure of DNA, has prompted a wave of adoring comment from obituary writers, news journalists and fellow scientists alike. And rightly so. As our news story on his death describes, Crick contributed not just to the discovery of... [Read More]

Saviour siblings: have we slipped down the slope?

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has announced a relaxation of the rules surrounding PGD and tissue typing, otherwise known as saviour siblings treatment. Predictably, the decision prompted a rash of media comment. But, perhaps unpredictably, nearly all the comment was positive and in support of the HFEA's decision... [Read More]

Time to resolve the 'saviour siblings' issue

The British media has spent the weekend speculating on a decision expected to be made by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) this week on the vexed issue of 'saviour siblings'. The authority has to decide whether to relax its prohibition on the use of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD... [Read More]

When the law protects embryos but harms patients

Just four months after a draconian IVF law came into force in Italy, Italian politicians are already coming under pressure to amend the legislation. The new Medically Assisted Reproduction Law, which came onto the Italian statute book in March, prohibits the destruction of embryos created outside the body. This means... [Read More]

Menopause test is good news for women

British researchers have, this week, announced the development of a new test which could tell women when they are likely to reach the menopause. Scientists already know that the women reach the menopause at a remarkably variable age because the number of egg follicles - set whilst still in their mother's... [Read More]

Genetic profiling of babies is not coming soon

We report this week on a public meeting discussing the question of whether, in the future, all babies should be genetically profiled at birth. The government's genetics watchdog, the Human Genetics Commission met with researchers in Bristol to discuss the feasibility of such a programme, as well as its possible... [Read More]

Public support is dependent upon health benefits

Saviour siblings are back in the news. Two developments from the United States show that not only is preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and tissue typing being used successfully by more and more couples, but also that the majority of Americans support such a use of the technology. According to a... [Read More]

Genetics, scientists and the media

In BioNews this week we report on a Canadian study which suggests that genetics is not overhyped by the media. For many people involved in genetic research or clinical services, the findings may come as a surprise. Feeling rather under siege from the media, they sometimes assume that coverage is... [Read More]

How much regulation of assisted reproduction is needed?

This week's New England Journal of Medicine publishes a report into the outcomes of assisted reproduction in the United States. One major finding is that the rate of multiple pregnancies following IVF treatment has reduced over the past few years. The authors of the study say that the fall in... [Read More]