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Round-ups Archive

experts comment on new research into iPS cells and spinal muscular atrophy, as published in Nature

The study, from researchers in the United States, is the first to show that induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, which are capable of becoming any other type of cell, can be used to model the pathology of the genetic muscle-wasting disease spinal muscular atrophy. The cells were derived from skin cells taken from a child with the disease, and are therefore genetically identical. read more

experts react to pregnancy involving PGD for breast cancer

A woman from London will shortly become the first in the UK to give birth to a baby that has been screened to be free of a gene that significantly raises the risk of breast cancer, using the technique of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) in which embryos are selected for implantation based on identified genetic characteristics. read more

experts comment on the publication of the Taskforce on Presumed Consent

The UK Organ Donation Taskforce was asked by government to review the evidence for moving to a system of ‘presumed consent’, whereby all indivuduals would be automatically presumed to have given consent to organ donation unless they specifically opted out. The Taskforce reached the conclusion that the evidence does not support this move at the present time. read more

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