Stem cell treatment counters kidney rejection in early trial |
12 March 2012 - by Dr Rebecca Robey |
Stem cell therapy may remove the need for organ transplant recipients to have lifelong drug treatment to combat the risk of rejection, which would dramatically improve patients' quality of life... [Read More] |
Australian sperm donors' details could be linked to birth certificates |
20 February 2012 - by Dr Rebecca Robey |
The state parliament in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, is considering whether sperm and egg donors' details should be mandatorily recorded on their children's birth certificate.... [Read More] |
Sex determination possible at five weeks after conception |
23 January 2012 - by Dr Rebecca Robey |
A test has been developed to determine the sex of a fetus from only five weeks old. The test relies on a blood sample from the mother and therefore carries no risk to the child... [Read More] |
No negative impact for surrogate's own children |
16 January 2012 - by Dr Rebecca Robey |
Acting as a surrogate does not negatively affect the psychological wellbeing of the surrogate's own children, according to a new study from the Centre for Family Research, University of Cambridge.... [Read More] |
Breast cancer risk genes from mum or dad? It could affect diagnosis age |
19 December 2011 - by Dr Rebecca Robey |
Women who inherit breast cancer risk genes from their father may be diagnosed with, or even develop, the disease several years earlier than those who inherit the same genes from their mother. This may have implications for screening and treatment strategies for those at risk of hereditary breast cancer... [Read More] |
Think tank tells NHS: prepare for the genetic revolution |
31 October 2011 - by Dr Rebecca Robey |
The NHS must take steps to prepare for a revolution in genetics-based medicine, according to a new report by the independent think tank, the Foundation for Genomics and Public Health (the PHG Foundation). The Foundation says that rapid advances in technology will soon make it possible for individuals to have their entire genome analysed affordably, and this will have a major impact on many aspects of healthcare... [Read More] |
Does your DNA 'remember' your childhood? |
24 October 2011 - by Dr Rebecca Robey |
Living conditions during childhood may have a long-term effect on DNA, according to new research by British and Canadian scientists. The findings, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, may explain why some people who grow up in socioeconomic deprivation have health disadvantages later in life, despite improvements in their living conditions in adulthood... [Read More] |
Fruit and veg keeps genetic risk of heart disease at bay |
17 October 2011 - by Dr Rebecca Robey |
Eating high quantities of fresh fruit and vegetables can counterbalance the effects of having a genetic predisposition to heart disease, an international study has found... [Read More] |
Nobel prize for scientist who experimented on himself |
10 October 2011 - by Dr Rebecca Robey |
The winners of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2011 were announced on 3 October with an unusual twist – for the first time the accolade has been bestowed on someone posthumously. This is normally against the Nobel Assembly's rules, but Professor Ralph Steinman's untimely death on 30 September occurred after messages had been sent to him informing him of his success... [Read More] |
US court victory for embryonic stem cell research |
1 August 2011 - by Dr Rebecca Robey |
A District Court judge in the US has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to ban federal funding for human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research. The decision, by Judge Royce Lambeth, is the latest development in the case of Sherley v Sebelius – a landmark lawsuit filed against the US's state-funded National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2009... [Read More] |