Sperm donor told to halt production by US regulator

A man in the United States is reportedly being investigated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after offering his sperm for donation. Trent Arsenault, a 36 year-old computer security expert from California, has set up a website offering his sperm without charge to anyone who wishes to use it to have a baby....[Read More]

Genetic regions linked to schizophrenia by two Chinese studies

Two Chinese genome wide association studies (GWAS) have identified genomic regions linked to the incidence of schizophrenia. The papers, published in Nature, are some of the first GWAS to look at Chinese as opposed to Western populations....[Read More]

Stem cell research funding lawsuit returns as plaintiffs appeal

Lawyers acting for two US scientists who sought to challenge the legality of a decision by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to allow research on new embryonic stem (ES) cell lines have filed a notice of appeal. They seek to reverse the decision made against them by a district judge in July...[Read More]

Chronic pain gene discovery may improve treatment

A single gene may play a major role in how we perceive pain, UK scientists have discovered. Research published in the journal Science, by a team from the University of Cambridge, shows that the HCN2 gene may be a vital target for future pharmacological research into pain relief...[Read More]

World cup winning South African rugby player to receive stem cell therapy

A South African rugby player is believed to be the first in his country to receive an experimental stem cell therapy to treat a serious neurological disease....[Read More]

Molecular scalpel repairs defective muscular dystrophy DNA

UK researchers have successfully trialled a new drug to help patients with a severe form of muscular dystrophy....[Read More]

Gene therapy used to cure blindness in monkeys

A group of US scientists has successfully used a virus to deliver genes into monkey retinas that could potentially restore damaged photoreceptor cells. The findings could lead to gene therapies being developed to treat blindness and other eye conditions in humans...[Read More]

An age old story, longevity is genetic, study claims

A research team from King's College London led by Dr Guangju Zhai has completed a meta-analysis of seven genetic studies looking at the role of the hormone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), and how it may affect the ageing process in humans...[Read More]

US stem cell funding saga rumbles on

The US courts are currently attempting to decide whether human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research may continue to receive federal funding, after a lawsuit was brought against the US Government last year....[Read More]

Doubts raised over US gene patents

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has weighed in on the complex issue of gene patenting against the principle that genes should be eligible for patent protection, reversing the government's position on the matter and causing consternation for many biotechnology companies. This week it issued a legal brief as a 'friend of the court' joining a lawsuit challenging the rights of companies to patent genetic technologies....[Read More]