| Correction: New method for egg freezing may improve IVF success rates |
| 2 October 2008 - by BioNews |
| In BioNews 471 we published a story which used the term 'freezing' to describe a new embryo preservation technique known as 'vitrification'. It has been brought to our attention that 'freezing' is not an accurate description of the vitrification process, which in fact uses certain chemicals and processes to avoid... [Read More] |
| Study finds association between fat-cell hormone and cancer |
| 6 October 2008 - by Adam Fletcher |
| Writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Dr Boris Pasche and team at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, US, report an association between variations in a fat-cell hormone gene, and colorectal cancer. The study profiled ten single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs - point changes in DNA... [Read More] |
| Genetic link to reading ability |
| 6 October 2008 - by Alison Cranage |
| Researchers at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics at Oxford University, UK, have identified a genetic variant that is linked to reading ability. The findings, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, implicate a gene that could also be involved in dyslexia. Dr Silvia Paracchini, lead... [Read More] |
| Scientists find new information about embryo implantation |
| 6 October 2008 - by Dr Charlotte Maden |
| Scientists at the University of Oxford, UK, believe they have identified the way in which embryos implant in the uterus, providing essential information which may be used in the future for infertility treatments and offering hope to thousands of infertile couples. Implantation of an embryo to the... [Read More] |
| India to introduce new fertility regulation |
| 6 October 2008 - by Antony Starza-Allen |
| New laws to regulate assisted reproductive technology in India will be introduced to Parliament later this year. The text of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill 2008 was published last week by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for public comment. The bill aims to regulate... [Read More] |
| Obesity may affect sex hormone levels but not sperm count |
| 6 October 2008 - by Lorna Stewart |
| A study of 2000 men, conducted by Dr Anette Aggerholm and colleagues at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, has found no association between obesity and semen quality. The study, published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, involved taking blood and semen samples from all participants as well... [Read More] |
| Gene discovery sheds light on 'Narcolepsy' |
| 6 October 2008 - by Stuart Scott |
| A genome-wide screen performed by Japanese scientists has uncovered a genetic variant linked to an increased risk for narcolepsy - a sleeping disorder marked by excessive daytime sleepiness, loss of muscle function and hallucinations. Researchers at the University of Tokyo compared the genome of 222 narcoleptic Japanese and... [Read More] |
| Discredited cloning technology patented in Australia |
| 6 October 2008 - by MacKenna Roberts |
| The Australian Patent Office, IP Australia, are expected to grant a patent to internationally disgraced South Korean Scientist Hwang Woo-Suk for his human cloning technology which he fraudulently claimed led to false scientific achievements in 2005. Hwang is one of 18 researchers named on the patent application... [Read More] |
