GENET news: Human

18.09.2007

Death in gene therapy treatment is still unexplained

A federal committee concluded yesterday that it was too early to tell whether an experimental gene therapy treatment for rheumatoid arthritis contributed to the death of a 36-year-old woman in July. But the committee, set up by the National Institutes of Health to help oversee gene therapy clinical trials, raised questions about the process used to enroll the woman in the study. And the woman’s husband said he thought his wife should not have been recruited.

07.09.2007

UK watchdog ends ban on part-human part-animal embryo research

British stem cell scientists celebrated the end of a lengthy battle to create embryos which are part-human and part-animal yesterday after the research was approved by the government’s fertility watchdog. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority ruled that scientists should be allowed to create the controversial embryos to investigate debilitating and untreatable medical conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s and motor neurone disease.

27.08.2007

Fungus infected woman who died after gene therapy

The 36-year-old Illinois woman who died last month after being treated with an experimental gene therapy was infected with a fungus that usually causes only a mild illness. But the infection spun out of control and ravaged her organs, suggesting that her immune system was seriously impaired, said a doctor who is part of the medical investigation. [...] Experts in gene therapy are eagerly awaiting the test results. A link to the death would be a painful setback for the research field, which attempts to treat diseases by giving people new genes.

20.07.2007

Environmental concerns boost support for GM food crops in Australia

Public support for genetically modified food crops rose dramatically to 73 per cent in 2007, up from 46 per cent in 2005, due to perceptions about the role they can play in countering drought and pollution. Australian Industry Minister, Ian Macfarlane, said a Biotechnology Australia report, released today, found a major change in public attitudes towards biotechnology in all areas. ”When asked if GM crops should be grown in their state, 50 per cent of respondents from all states said Yes, with a further 30 per cent approving as long as they were strongly regulated,” Mr Macfarlane said.

02.07.2007

Creation of human stem cell lines that can become any cell type using unfertilized eggs

Scientists at Lifeline Cell Technology, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of International Stem Cell Corporation, have successfully created six unique human stem cell lines that appear capable of differentiation into any cell type found in the human body using an efficient method that does not require the use of fertilized embryos.

12.06.2007

Simple switch turns cells embryonic

Research reported this week by three different groups shows that normal skin cells can be reprogrammed to an embryonic state in mice. The race is now on to apply the surprisingly straightforward procedure to human cells. If researchers succeed, it will make it relatively easy to produce cells that seem indistinguishable from embryonic stem cells, and that are genetically matched to individual patients. There are limits to how useful and safe these would be for therapeutic use in the near term, but they should quickly prove a boon in the lab.

12.06.2007

Reprogramming

Reprogramming
Scientists have discovered a way to make ordinary cells from mature mice mimic embryopnic stem cells. If the process can be applied to human cells, it would remove ethical objections to stem cell reserach.Scientists have discovered a way to make ordinary cells from mature mice mimic embryopnic stem cells. If the process can be applied to human cells, it would remove ethical objections to stem cell reserach.

08.05.2007

The next Human Genome Project: Our microbes

A proposed project to sequence the microorganisms that inhabit our bodies could have a huge impact on human health. Much as we might like to ignore them, microbes have colonized almost every inch of our bodies, living in our mouths, skin, lungs, and gut. Indeed, the human body has 10 times as many microbial cells as human cells. They’re a vital part of our health, breaking down otherwise indigestible foods, making essential vitamins, and even shaping our immune system. Recent research suggests that microbes play a role in diseases, such as ulcers, heart disease, and obesity.

16.04.2007

Andalucía (Spain) sets the pace in biomedicine and stem cell research legislation

The regional government is in the process of introducing a package of measures in the field of biomedicine and stem cell research. This is pioneer legislation not just in Spain but also in Europe. Within a year Andalusians will be entitled to free treatment to detect and prevent possible genetically based illnesses. The Andalusian Parliament has already approved Spain’s first law to control biomedical research with stem cells for therapeutic ends. The Genetics Law, currently being processed, will allow genetic analysis for health care or biomedical research and controls the DNA bank system.

03.04.2007

Transplanting organs from animals to humans: what are the barriers?

Given the huge shortage of donor organs, researchers have been trying to find ways to transplant animal organs across different species (known as ”xenotransplantation”), with the eventual aim of transplanting animal organs into humans. The major stumbling block, says Dr Muhammad Mohiuddin (US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) in a paper in PLoS Medicine, is that the immune system in the animal receiving the organ tends to reject the transplant.

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