Monthly Archives: June 2005

In 2004 the UK National Screening Committee recommended that screening for Down’s syndrome does not have to include a method known as karyotyping, where the number and appearance of chromosomes from an individual are checked. Instead, methods known as fluorescent … Continue reading →

A heart failure drug has been approved in the US specifically for the treatment of black people. Although not originally designed to treat this population, early trials with an ethnically mixed group found it benefited the black individuals (cutting deaths … Continue reading →

A quick reminder of the above seminar that you can watch live on the web today, 23rd June, at 1pm BST (12 noon GMT). This seminar should last for an hour. Tell anyone who might be interested, staff, students, families. … Continue reading →

Males who fail to attract sexual partners can blame their genes. Research reported in Nature and Cell has shown that a single gene determines male sexual behaviour patterns. Scientists from the USA and Austria discovered that one single gene regulates … Continue reading →

Israeli scientists have identified a genetic profile of older women, particularly those over the age of 45, who conceive without fertility treatment. BBC News

June 23, 2005. 1300-1400hrs Title: Disability, genetics and choice Current Department of Health policy has resulted in the implementation of antenatal screening programs in all regions of England. These programs offer pregnant women choices – but are they informed choices? … Continue reading →

A number of people have contacted me offering their story. It has been very encouraging to receive those requests and have included neurological, auto-immune and cardiac conditions. People are receiving information via newsletters, so I’m sending articles to editors. If … Continue reading →

A study of 4000 twins published in Biology Letters claims that some of the variation in ability to orgasm amongst women is due to genetic factors. The researchers claimed that between 34% and 45% of the variation, depending on circumstances, … Continue reading →

A preliminary study of nine women with arthritis has shown that gene therapy is a potentially effective treatment. Results reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences show that the concept of gene therapy is feasible and probably … Continue reading →

The Journal of Clinical Investigation has reported that a sequence of 11 genes might predict the rapid spread of cancerous tumours, and ultimately death. This study looked at 1122 patients with 10 different cancer types. BBC news Journal of Clinical … Continue reading →