Issue 570 (09 August 2010)

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Is the glass half full or half empty? Debating the research on donor offspring: A reply to Blyth and Kramer's critique of 'My Daddy's Name is Donor'

09 August 2010 - by Elizabeth Marquardt

It is challenging for researchers to study the offspring of sperm donation. There are not that many donor offspring in the general population, most of their parents have not told them the truth about their origins, and there are currently few available sources of funding for such inquiries...[Read More]

How not to save money: Unscrambling the HFEA

09 August 2010 - by Baroness Ruth Deech

Of course we are all against unnecessary regulation: and one of the areas of policy put forward by the new coalition government which has seemed to attract widespread support, even from those who hold no brief for them, is the abolition of superfluous quangos....[Read More]

Don't agree? Let your fingers do the talking

09 August 2010 - by Sarah Norcross

In last month's BioNews (issue567) Professor Eric Blyth and Wendy Kramer criticised 'My Daddy's Name is Donor: A New Study of Young Adults Conceived Through Sperm Donation'. This week Elizabeth Marquardt, a coinvestigator on the study, responds. We would like to hear your views on this report and their ensuing disagreement... [Read More]

HGC publishes new report on direct-to-consumer genetic testing

09 August 2010 - by Chris Chatterton

The Human Genome Commission (HGC) has published a new ‘Common Framework of Principles’ for direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests on 4 August....[Read More]

New technique will help scientists study abnormal testicles

09 August 2010 - by Dr Vivienne Raper

Scientists have successfully grafted human testicle tissue into mice, allowing them to study for the first time how boys' testicles develop in the womb...[Read More]

New genetic markers linked to breast cancer risk

09 August 2010 - by Chris Chatterton and Louise Mallon

A large prospective study has discovered new genetic variants associated with an increased risk of breast cancer....[Read More]

Genetic factors important in survival after breast cancer, study shows

09 August 2010 - by Sarah Guy

A UK study has revealed that breast cancer patients who have the POLQ gene are eight times more likely to suffer from recurrence after treatment compared to patients who do not carry the gene....[Read More]

Scientists create regenerative cells from mouse cells

09 August 2010 - by Jay Stone

Regrowing human tissue is one step closer after scientists found manipulating two key proteins in mouse muscle cells enabled them to continue multiplying...[Read More]

Isle of Man 'halves' fertility treatment funding

09 August 2010 - by Gozde Zorlu

Isle of Man couples wishing to undergo IVF will only have funds to complete one cycle of treatment following a review of fertility care, the Manx government has announced...[Read More]

New method to create mature egg cells discovered

09 August 2010 - by Sophie Pryor

Immature mouse eggs have been successfully matured and fertilised in the laboratory for the first time. Eggs from women undergoing cancer therapy were also successfully matured using the new method, offering hope for some women suffering infertility such as cancer patients made infertile by treatment...[Read More]

Obituary: Stuart Andrews

09 August 2010 - by Antony Blackburn-Starza and Anoushka Shepherd

Stuart Andrews, teacher of Medical Law and Ethics at the London School of Economics (LSE) and Queen Mary, University of London, died suddenly on Wednesday 28th July 2010...[Read More]

Clinical trial for method to select fertile sperm

09 August 2010 - by Julianna Photopoulos

A sperm test that could help thousands of men who are infertile has been developed by UK and US scientists, according to The Times....[Read More]

Certain plastics linked to male infertility, study shows

09 August 2010 - by Victoria Kay

A chemical found in some common plastics may be linked to reduced fertility in men, according to a new report. A US study found that men with the highest levels of Bisphenol A (BPA) in their urine had a sperm count 23 per cent lower on average than those with the lowest BPA levels...[Read More]

Film Review: Splice

09 August 2010 - by Dr Gabrielle Samuel

From watching the trailers for Splice, I thought the film centred on a genetic engineering experiment gone awry - mutants taking over the world and so on. Sadly not. At least if it had, it would be based on a storyline which - although tiresome - is proven to work. Not only that, but this horror of a horror film was far from scary...[Read More]