Monthly Archives: August 2006

This has nothing to do with genetics, it’s just one of those interesting curiosities that caught my eye when scanning the news this morning. In the 2001 Census 390,000 people declared their religion to be Jedi, from the Star Wars films.  … Continue reading →

Researchers from Manchester have identified, at a molecular level, how a protein interacts with cells to form hair.  Experiments on a mouse model have shown that overstimulation of the gene producing this protein leads to more fur growing.  The aim … Continue reading →

The British Fertility Society have recommended that women with a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 35 (i.e. severely obese) should not have IVF treatment.  They also say that women with a BMI between 29 and 35 should address their … Continue reading →

The ‘Genomic Policy’ blog, which you’re reading now, is mentioned in the current edition of Nature Reviews Genetics.  The article ‘Would Mendel have been a blogger?’ lists five genetics blog sites from across the world, including this one.  Unfortunately, access to Nature … Continue reading →

My news search engine brought this story to light after I’d posted the previous blog about stem cell therapies, so rather than edit that one again, I’m making this new entry. Experts are warning that the value of stem cell … Continue reading →

There are two related stories in this blog. A five year old British girl has gone to China for stem cell therapy that is illegal in the UK currently.  Sacha Skinner has Batten’s disease, for which she will receive four … Continue reading →

Belgian researchers have discovered a link between hearing loss in the elderly and faults in the gene KCNQ4.  Just three mistakes in the gene are needed for an affected person to develop hearing loss in later life.  It is already known that more … Continue reading →

Scientists from University of Manchester have identified three genes that increase the risk of cot death by up to 14 times when they are faulty.  The genes, Interleukin 10 (IL-10), Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), are part … Continue reading →

Researchers from Edinburgh University are trying to recruit 2000 volunteers from Orkney for a study into the genetic risk factors for osteoporosis.  By using a stable rural population, they hope to pick up genetic factors that might be missed within a mobile … Continue reading →

US scientists have developed a technique for creating embryonic human stem cell lines without destroying the embryo.  They remove a single cell from the embryo, then use that to create the stem cell line.  The embryo is not destroyed by … Continue reading →