TV Review: Me, My Sex and I

'Me, My Sex and I' is a documentary about people who are born neither entirely male nor female. I must state at the outset that this programme is about the sex of the individual, and should not be confused with gender, which is how people identify themselves (something that many other TV reviews have got wrong in describing this programme). As the show makes clear, sex is not an 'either or' for many people; the real buzz word here is 'ambiguous'....[Read More]

'Man flu' - do women just have stronger immune systems?

Genetic differences between men and women could mean that women are better at resisting certain infections and diseases than men, a new study suggests. The second X chromosome in women gives them an immunological advantage over men, possibly giving credence to man's perceived susceptibility to 'man-flu'....[Read More]

Human history is written in everyone's genome

Two scientists claim to have pushed the boundaries of what can be learned about the ancestral history of the human race from one person's genome. Dr Richard Durbin and Dr Heng Li from the UK's Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge used information from the genomes of only seven individuals...[Read More]

Cord blood used to treat infant with SCID

Doctors from Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) have used stem cells from donated cord blood to treat a child with a rare genetic disorder....[Read More]

Study questions screening for Fragile X Syndrome

Genetic counselling for women and parents undergoing Fragile X syndrome (FXS) screening needs improvement, according to a recent review. The review also called for more studies into the benefits of population-wide screening for FXS...[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]

Promising new gene therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

A potential new gene therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is now set to enter clinical trials after encouraging results in mice. The multinational team of scientists, publishing their findings in the journal Molecular Therapy, demonstrated that the therapy dramatically prevented severe muscle deterioration and extended the lifespan of mice with symptoms of DMD....[Read More]

Freezing eggs leads to 'scrambled generations'?

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Storage Period for Gametes and Embryos) Regulations 2009 came into force on 1 October 2009 under negative Parliamentary procedure. Soon after, however, a prayer was moved for the regulations to be annulled and a debate took place on 21 October 2009 in the House of Lords....[Read More]

Females lacking second X-chromosome may have started life 'male'

Turner Syndrome, a condition in which women have only one X chromosome instead of two, may be caused by a missing Y chromosome instead of a missing X as previously thought. Research published in Cell at the start of this month suggests that disruption in the Y chromosome can cause a range of male sex disorders including, surprisingly, Turner Syndrome which has always previously been considered a female sex disorder....[Read More]

Bizarre platypus genome is decoded

Scientists have decoded the genome of the duck-billed platypus, and discovered that the genetic code is as weird as the animal itself. The findings, reported in the journal Nature, hold invaluable clues for understanding evolution. When the first sample of a platypus arrived in England in 1799...[Read More]

Folate levels may affect sperm quality

US scientists have found a possible link between low dietary folate levels and abnormal sperm in men. The findings, from the University of California, Berkley, and the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, provide further evidence that healthy diets aid fertility. Folate is a soluble B vitamin found naturally...[Read More]

Sperm from female stem cells?

British scientists have created early-stage, human sperm from female stem cells, according to a news report in New Scientist magazine. It is claimed that the research will pave the way for same sex couples to have children that are genetically their own. However, other scientists are sceptical...[Read More]

Double dose of genes linked to learning difficulties

Australian researchers have announced the identification of two genes that are involved in learning difficulties. Over 10,000 children born in the UK every year are affected by some form of developmental delay, but in 80 per cent of cases doctors are unable to determine a cause. Reporting...[Read More]

Scientists correct Fragile X in mice

Scientists have discovered a gene modification which helps to reduce some of the symptoms of Fragile X in mice - a condition which in humans is the leading inherited cause of autism and learning difficulties. Published in the journal Neuron, the research suggests that a new class of...[Read More]

Mouse gene studies hint at autism treatment

New research, published online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences last week, shows that blocking the activity of a gene in the brain - which regulates the enzyme p21-activated kinase (PAK) - can reverse symptoms of mental retardation and autism in mice with Fragile...[Read More]

First case of 'semi-identical' twins reported

A previously unreported form of twinning in humans has been discovered in America. The twins - dubbed 'semi-identical' - are thought to be the result of a single egg being fertilised with two sperm, and then splitting. Double fertilisations are thought to account for around one per cent of...[Read More]

Three siblings diagnosed with rare genetic disease

A British couple have spoken of their heartbreak at having had three young sons diagnosed with the same rare terminal genetic condition. Scott and Nicola Smith, from Eyres Monsell, Leicester, have spoken to the press about discovering their sons' incurable brain disorder. Eight-year old Connor, six-year...[Read More]

Gene therapy used to 'cure' rare immune disease

A team of scientists based in Frankfurt, Germany, has become the world's first to treat a rare and 'incurable' hereditary immune disease in adults, using gene therapy. Gene therapy has been used successfully in the past, but this has generally been in the treatment of children. Over the past two...[Read More]

US study suggests little demand for social sex selection

A new study carried out at the University of Illinois in Chicago shows that most people would not choose the sex of their baby, if given the option. The findings, published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, are based on an online survey of 1,197 men and women aged between...[Read More]

Embryos tested for haemophilia gene mutation

UK scientists have used preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to help a couple conceive a baby unaffected by haemophilia, a serious inherited blood clotting disorder. A team at the Clinical Sciences Centre in Hammersmith, London and colleagues at Queen Charlotte's Hospital used a new test that directly detects the gene mutation...[Read More]