GENET news: Human

25.11.2008

Organs transplants from GE pigs could be a reality in less than a decade, claims Lord Winston

Lord Winston, the fertility expert at Imperial College London, is developing a genetically modified strain of pig that he believes could solve the shortage of organs for transplant patients. [...] Lord Winston said: ”We think we can produce transplantable organs within two or three years but then will need to carry out extensive tests. ”Within 10 years we think they could be available for hospitals.”

09.10.2008

Dolly designer moves beyond cloning

South Koreans have touted their sophistication in cloning technology, but it remains to be seen whether recent innovations in science would render their skills irrelevant. Ian Wilmut, the Scottish gene scientist who created Dolly the sheep, the world’s first cloned mammal, made headlines last year when he declared he was abandoning cloning and switching to a new method that involves genetically modifying adult cells to behave like stem cells. The alternative technology, pioneered by the likes of Kyoto University scientist Shinya Yamanaka, has allowed researchers to create stem cells from fragments of skin, thus removing the need to use human embryos.

30.09.2008

Scientists create GE pigs with cystic fibrosis in search for life-saving new treatments

Pigs have been bred with cystic fibrosis, providing scientists with a powerful animal model that will aid the development of new treatments for the incurable condition. The creation of the pigs, using genetic engineering and cloning technologies, removes one of the biggest barriers to research into cystic fibrosis. While mice and other animals have previously been modified with the genetic mutation that causes the inherited disorder, they do not develop the same symptoms as humans and are thus useless for most experiments.

18.08.2008

South Korea bans cloning scientist Hwang from resuming stem cell research

South Korea will not approve the request by disgraced scientist Hwang Woo-suk to resume human stem cell research, sources said July 31, 2008, a decision that could deal a blow to his efforts to recover honor by proving his ability to make a breakthrough in the field. Hwang, once considered a national hero, has been on trial since 2006 on charges of fraud and violation of bioethics laws after his team was found in January 2006 to have fabricated laboratory test results to claim success in his study. He was dismissed by his employer Seoul National University in the same year amid a global furor over his fabricated study results.

18.08.2008

South Korea bans cloning scientist Hwang from resuming stem cell research

South Korea will not approve the request by disgraced scientist Hwang Woo-suk to resume human stem cell research, sources said July 31, 2008, a decision that could deal a blow to his efforts to recover honor by proving his ability to make a breakthrough in the field. Hwang, once considered a national hero, has been on trial since 2006 on charges of fraud and violation of bioethics laws after his team was found in January 2006 to have fabricated laboratory test results to claim success in his study. He was dismissed by his employer Seoul National University in the same year amid a global furor over his fabricated study results.

20.05.2008

Hybrid embryo research given go-ahead by MPs in the UK

Ground-breaking new laws permitting the creation of human-animal hybrid embryos for research passed a crucial vote in the Commons last night after attempts to ban the technique were overwhelmingly rejected. MPs voted by almost two-to-one to reject an attempt to ban all hybrid embryos using human and animal DNA despite claims that they would turn Britain into a ”rogue state”. The Commons voted down the amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill by 336 to 176, a majority of 160. A second amendment to outlaw so-called ”true hybrids” containing 50 per cent animal DNA was also rejected after a three-hour debate. A third amendment, which would limit the use of hybrid embryos, was also voted down.

20.05.2008

U.S. researchers create genetically modified human embryo

A U.S. research group has created what appears to be the world’s first genetically modified human embryo, crossing an ethical boundary that until now has been observed by scientists around the world. [...] Although this kind of experiment has been technically feasible for the past couple decades, no previous attempts to genetically manipulate human embryos are known. The researchers at New York’s Cornell University were surely aware that transferring genes into a human embryo would raise eyebrows and concerns. But they nonetheless decided to proceed, and did so almost casually, without public consultation or discussion.

20.04.2008

Mixed emotions at another milestone in human cloning research

The implications for the new form of cloning developed by scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which The Independent reports on today, are as worrying as they are momentous. In a nutshell, they have succeeded in reprogramming skin cells into cells that enjoy all the properties of embryonic stem cells without the controversial use of embryos or eggs

18.01.2008

US scientist clones himself from skin cells

An American scientist has created a cloned embryo from his own skin cells as part of a research project into patient-matched stem cells. Samuel Wood at Stemagen Corporation in La Jolla, California, plucked cells from his skin and injected them into donated eggs that had been treated to remove their own genetic material. The eggs developed into very early stage embryos that were genetically identical to the scientist’s own DNA.

18.01.2008

British scientists get licence for hybrid embryos

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) granted licences to conduct research using hybrids – made from animal eggs that have had their nucleus replaced with human genetic code. Researchers will now use the technique to create embryonic stem cells in order to study the causes of and develop treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cystic fibrosis, motor neurone disease (MND) and Huntington’s. 

They originally applied for permission to do the work in November 2006, but the HFEA delayed its decision for 12 months to carry out a public consultation and to wait for the Government to publish new proposed laws governing such research.

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