Behind the Headlines
Genetics/stem cells
08 Aug 2011
A single genetic fault “increases a woman's risk of ovarian cancer six-fold”, The Independent has today reported. The estimate is based on new research looking at the prevalence of...
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05 Aug 2011
“Fertility experts are hailing a mouse study in which working sperm cells were created from embryonic stem cells in mice as ‘hugely exciting’,” reports the BBC. Other news sources have suggested that these results...
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29 Jul 2011
The Independent has today reported that scientists may have discovered the genetic cause of Proteus syndrome, the rare condition made famous by Joseph Merrick, whose life was portrayed in the film...
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22 Jul 2011
“One in four men have a mutant gene 'that makes it harder for them to have children',” the Daily Mail reported. The newspaper went on to say that “scientists have found some sperm lacks a protective protein that helps it to reach the egg”.
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20 Jul 2011
“Being stressed in pregnancy genetically programmes the developing baby to be more susceptible to anxiety and behavioural problems in life,” reported The Daily Telegraph. The news...
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18 Jul 2011
“A new plastic surface which overcomes the difficulties associated with growing adult stem cells has been developed”, reports the BBC. This news is based on a laboratory study...
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14 Jul 2011
The Independent reports today that there is “hope for millions of Alzheimer’s sufferers as scientists make brain cells from human skin”. It said that “scientists had managed to convert a person's skin tissue into functioning nerve cells...
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11 Jul 2011
“A genetic breakthrough into the causes of an incurable spine condition could help tens of thousands of young people to avoid pain and disability” reports The Independent.
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29 Jun 2011
Doctors have made a “breakthrough in repairing genetic defects”, The Guardian reported. This news comes after researchers conducted a small trial that tested genetic engineering...
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27 Jun 2011
The Daily Telegraph reported that “slim people could be at a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes than their flattering figures suggest due to a ‘lean gene’ that masks the dangers.”
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