http://www.bionews.org.uk/ The principal aim of BioNews is to provide accurate, balanced and timely news and comment on genetics, assisted conception, embryo/stem cell research and related areas. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:05:17 GMT Ultimate Database Ltd. http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=55893 On Tuesday (9 March) the UK's Human Tissue Authority (HTA) took the unprecedented step of writing to more than 150 organisations to express our concerns that umbilical cord blood is being collected unlawfully, and that this activity may compromise safety and quality standards. Our letters were targeted at those we regulate, maternity units, professional bodies and others... Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:09:17 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=55874 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.... Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:23:45 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=55848 Mental health is a huge global concern, with one in four people experiencing some form of mental health problem at some point in their lives. Psychiatric disorders are sometimes difficult to study, as they are diagnosed on the basis of observed behaviours... Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:56:29 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=55655 In their concluding remarks, all three speakers said the answer to the question implicit in the event's title - if you are genetically predisposed to a neurodevelopmental disorder, does this effectively mean you are marked for life? - is an emphatic 'no'. Nonetheless, they had divergent views on the likelihood of successfully applying the fruits of genetic research into mental health... Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:34:10 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=55564 Scientists have catalogued the genes of microbes living in our gut, information that could be crucial in assessing the impact of microbes on our health. The study, published in Nature, reports the sequencing of 3.3 million microbial genes, a gene set 150 times larger than the human genome.... Mon, 8 Mar 2010 12:23:06 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=55546 Babies with few teeth on their first birthday are more likely to need corrective dental surgery by age 30, a study has found. The UK and Finnish researchers also discovered ten genetic variants influencing tooth development during a baby's first year... Mon, 8 Mar 2010 16:20:17 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=55538 A US company has been granted beneficial 'orphan drug' status by the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for an embryonic stem cell therapy it's developing to treat a rare form of blindness... Mon, 8 Mar 2010 11:42:50 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=55533 A genetic risk score based on several genetic markers associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) does not improve the prediction of CVD risk, research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has suggested... Mon, 8 Mar 2010 11:31:48 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=55499 Whether a stem cell develops into bone or fat can be determined by the type of mould it is grown in, scientists at the University of Chicago have found... Mon, 8 Mar 2010 16:54:39 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=55475 A drug dealer serving a life sentence is awaiting a Government decision on whether he can have artificial insemination, after being granted permission by prison bosses... Mon, 8 Mar 2010 12:32:56 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=55449 A team of researchers based at Ohio State University, USA, have used Gene therapy to restore nerve and muscle function and prolong life in mice with a form of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a lethal childhood muscle-wasting disorder. Results from the study, published in the journal Nature Biotechnology, were so encouraging that the researchers hope to progress to human trials within two years.... Mon, 8 Mar 2010 14:22:07 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=55384 Scientists have developed a way to identify six key genes which, if faulty, can prevent particular chemotherapy drugs from working in patients with breast cancer. The findings bring cancer therapy one step closer to the promise of targeted treatments for patients, based on the genetic characteristics of their tumours.... Mon, 8 Mar 2010 13:30:54 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=55374 The UK supermarket chain Asda is to become the first to sell IVF drugs without profit, saving patients up to £820 per treatment cycle. The move is part of the retailer's bid to become the most competitive pharmacy in the UK.... Mon, 8 Mar 2010 16:17:15 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=55320 Regulation is important, but we are not discussing the most fundamental issue at hand: the human experiences that make or break surrogacy relationships. What common factors can be identified behind the small number of surrogacy cases that wind up in court?... Mon, 1 Mar 2010 16:40:36 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=55281 Doctors need to be trained in DNA-based medicine, the US scientist who led the Human Genome Project has told a scientific conference... Fri, 5 Mar 2010 16:52:05 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=55271 Canadians need better protection from genetic discrimination by insurers and employers, according to Winnipeg North MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis... Mon, 1 Mar 2010 16:31:16 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=55251 A personalised blood test that could track how a tumour responds to treatment and whether cancer is recurring has been developed by researchers in the U.S... Mon, 1 Mar 2010 09:31:32 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=55241 The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has proposed a broader definition of 'human embryonic stem cell' (HES), which would allow Federal funding of research using cells at an early development stage.... Mon, 1 Mar 2010 11:43:48 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=55233 Researchers have found Asian-American women are less likely than white women to successfully have a baby through IVF, but were unable to pinpoint why... Mon, 1 Mar 2010 16:58:11 GMT http://www.bionews.org.uk/page.asp?obj_id=55192 Women who undergo fertility treatment are four times more likely to have a stillborn baby than those who conceive naturally or use other methods, according to a new study... Mon, 1 Mar 2010 17:03:27 GMT