Skin disease has inbuilt genetic 'cure'

Scientists have identified genetic changes responsible for the rare skin condition, ichthyosis with confetti (IWC). They also discovered that skin cells from patients with IWC can eliminate the genetic mutation that causes the disease...[Read More]

CIRM gives $243m more funding to stem cell research

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) in San Francisco has approved a further $243 million to encourage researchers working on stem cell therapies to push forward into the clinical trial phase...[Read More]

FDA mounts legal challenge to stop treatment at US stem cell clinic

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has demanded a federal injunction from the US District Court of the District of Columbia to stop Regenerative Sciences (a Colorado based stem cell clinic) from using patients' own stem cells as medicinal treatment...[Read More]

Stem cell surgery a success, say UK doctors

An 11-year-old boy has returned home after becoming the first child to undergo a pioneering surgery which used his own stem cells to rebuild his windpipe. The operation, which took place in March this year at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, has been hailed as 'a success'...[Read More]

Cord blood stem cell banking and the problem of promissory technologies in health care

The possibilities presented by the storage or 'banking' of stem cells from umbilical cord blood after birth have attracted considerable public and media interest since the early part of this decade...[Read More]

Why the MRC did not fund the first test-tube baby

In 1971, reproductive biologist Dr Robert Edwards and gynaecologist Mr Patrick Steptoe applied to the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) requesting funding for research into human in vitro fertilisation and embryo transfer. Their application was rejected...[Read More]

Setback in non-embryonic stem cell use

Stem cells created from a patients' own tissue are subtly different from those derived from embryos in ways that may affect their therapeutic potential, two independent research groups have found. Both studies found induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) retain an 'epigenetic memory' of their tissue of origin...[Read More]

CFirst clinical trial of human embryonic stem cells gets go-ahead

Biotechnology company Geron has been given the all clear for the world's first clinical trial involving human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). This comes a year after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) placed the study on hold amid safety fears...[Read More]

Celebrating 20 years of preimplantation genetic diagnosis

At the beginning of this month, following the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) annual meeting in Rome, a workshop was held to celebrate 20 years of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD)...[Read More]

Stem cell therapy damage warns against premature hope for treatments

A woman has died after receiving stem cell therapy to treat a kidney ailment at a private clinic in Thailand....[Read More]

Human embryonic stem cells (ES cells) cultured, say scientists

Researchers have developed a method of creating large amounts of human embryonic stem (ES) cells using a new technique, which could help to treat a variety of diseases, according to new research published in the journal Nature Biology....[Read More]

Stem cell research for Motor Neurone Disease advancing

A new research project, which will use human stem cells to artificially create the diseased brain cells affected in Motor Neurone Disease (MND) could pave the way for a cure for sufferers....[Read More]

Scientists use stem cells in dental implants to grow teeth

For the first time scientists have regenerated a biological tooth within the oral cavity using stem cell development, suggesting a possible cheaper alternative to dentures or implants for adults who have lost some or all of their teeth....[Read More]

Wait before cutting the umbilical cord, say researchers

Delaying the clamping of the umbilical cord after birth by several minutes could bring future health benefits to newborns, according to new research....[Read More]

Reprogrammed stem cells could decrease animal testing

Reprogrammed stem cells could reduce or even eliminate the need for animal testing, according to the scientist who first created them...[Read More]

Multiple Sclerosis stem cell therapy guidelines launched

On 6th May 2010, the journal Nature Reviews Neurology published a new report about the future of multiple sclerosis (MS). The guidelines focus on the use of stem cell therapy. They were written by a group of international experts on the disease...[Read More]

Heart bypass 'leftovers' yield stem cells

Stem cells have been successfully extracted from veins left over from heart bypass surgery. Scientists hope that such cells could be used in the treatment of future heart conditions by stimulating the growth of new arteries...[Read More]

Bioethics à la Française: the new French bioethics laws

'Certain countries in Europe, France in particular, are trying to resist the ultra-liberal individualist ideology of the reproductive market. It's too bad that some other countries have maintained a conspiracy of silence on that subject.' ...[Read More]

UK's HTA warns of unlawful cord blood collections

The UK's Human Tissue Authority (HTA) issued a press release this week warning of the dangers of collecting umbilical cord blood stem cells by those who are unqualified to do so. Cord blood is rich in stem cells that contain potentially powerful biological properties, which could be useful in the treatment of certain blood disorders and cancers, and may in the long term be used in regenerative medicine....[Read More]

'Let's start at the very beginning': Cord blood banking - a response

In last week's BioNews, Mr David Burrowes, MP, commented on his successful introduction of a private member's bill on umbilical cord blood (UCB) donation in the UK Parliament in 2008, and how his continued efforts to raise awareness of the benefits of saving UCB for public use has been favourably met in a recent adjournment debate in the House of Commons....[Read More]