Embryo News and Research

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Stem-cell research ban temporarily lifted in appeals court

On Friday, an appeals court temporarily stayed a judge's ban on the federal government's funding of embryonic stem-cell research, the The Associated Press/The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. "The National Institutes of Health said it was resuming its own research and would again evaluate applications from scientists who are seeking taxpayer money to do the work, a process that has been frozen since late last month."

13 Sep 2010

Further evidence on adverse effects of smoking on fertility

Two new studies have shed more light on how smoking may damage fertility, and give further weight to advice that mothers and fathers-to-be should stop smoking before attempting to conceive. The research is published online in the reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction today (Wednesday 8 September).

8 Sep 2010

Study establishes critical roles for cancer-causing Myc gene in stem cell biology

Stem cells might be thought of as trunks in the tree of life. All multi-cellular organisms have them, and they can turn into a dazzling variety other cells-kidney, brain, heart or skin, for example. One class, pluripotent stem cells, has the capacity to turn into virtually any cell type in the body, making them a focal point in the development of cell therapies, the conquering of age-old diseases or even regrowing defective body parts.

3 Sep 2010

CDC launches new online video to provide information on Assisted Reproductive Technology

Reproductive health experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have launched three new online videos to provide science-based information for anyone considering Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART).

2 Sep 2010

Cognizant Communication launches 'Cell Medicine' open access journal

A new and unique journal on cell transplantation aimed at helping translate laboratory findings into clinical applications is being launched by Cognizant Communication Corporation as a companion journal to Cell Transplantation. Cell Medicine, an online-only, open access journal, publishes research papers that promise to have direct clinical relevance. The journal is freely accessible at: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/cm.

30 Aug 2010

Cell-to-cell signaling pathway that designates future location of ear's sensory organs tracked

Researchers have tracked a cell-to-cell signaling pathway that designates the future location of the ear's sensory organs in embryonic mice. The scientists succeeded in activating this signal more widely across the embryonic tissue that becomes the inner ear. Patches of sensory structures began growing in spots where they don't normally appear.

30 Aug 2010

ISCO's therapeutic program not affected by stem cell research federal fund ban

International Stem Cell Corporation announced today that the recent action of a federal district judge blocking federal funding of embryonic stem cell research is not expected to have negative effects on ISCO's therapeutic programs using its human parthenogenetic stem cells.

27 Aug 2010

NIH suspends funding new embryonic stem cell research following court order

"The National Institutes of Health announced Tuesday that it has suspended funding new human embryonic stem cell research and that all federally funded experiments already underway will be cut off when they come up for renewal if a new court order is not overturned. The announcement -- which confirmed fears among proponents that the ruling would result in a comprehensive freeze in federal support for stem cell research -- came in response to a court order Monday barring the government from funding the research because it involves the destruction of embryos.

26 Aug 2010

ACT comments on federal fund blocking for embryonic stem cell research

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. commented today on yesterday's federal court ruling, temporarily blocking federal funding for embryonic stem cell research involving the destruction of embryos.

26 Aug 2010

NeoStem responds to court ruling blocking government funding for embryonic stem cell research

NeoStem, Inc., an international biopharmaceutical company with operations in the U.S. and China, commented today on the ruling this week of a U.S. District Court blocking the federal government from funding research involving human embryonic stem cells. In issuing a preliminary injunction, the judge said it violated a law first passed in 1996 prohibiting federal money for research where a human embryo is destroyed.

25 Aug 2010

Stem cell research issues fought out in the court

A US district court has issued a temporary injunction stopping President Obama’s plans to increase funding for human embryonic stem cell research. The US government will appeal. According to a Justice Department spokesman, they are likely to file a case this week.

24 Aug 2010

FRC applauds preliminary injunction to stop taxpayers for embryonic stem cell research

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins applauded today's preliminary injunction that for now stops taxpayer funded embryonic stem cell research. Judge Royce Lamberth noted that the imposition of an injunction required that those challenging the government's funding demonstrate a substantial likelihood of success on the merits for their arguments.

24 Aug 2010

Scientists study yeast to understand human pathologies affecting male fertility

Men and yeast have something in common: they use the same molecular process to ensure the integrity of their gene pool during reproduction. This is a recent finding by researchers from CNRS, Inserm and the Université Joseph Fourier in Grenoble. The scientists are therefore set on studying yeast in order to shed light on the numerous cases of male infertility related to the malfunction of this process during spermatogenesis.

19 Aug 2010

Researchers pace embryonic heart with laser

Scientists at Case Western Reserve University and Vanderbilt University found that pulsed light can pace contractions in an avian embryonic heart, with no apparent damage to the tissue. The work, "Optical pacing of the embryonic heart," will be published in the advanced online issue of Nature Photonics on Aug. 15, 2010.According to the scientists, this non-invasive device may prove an effective tool in understanding how environmental factors that alter an embryo's heart rate lead to congenital defects. It may also lead to investigations of cardiac electrophysiology at the cellular, tissue and organ levels, and possibly the development of a new generation of pacemakers.

16 Aug 2010

Healthy eggs require tremendous amount of zinc to reach maturity for fertilization: Research

Scientists as well as fertility doctors have long tried to figure out what makes a good egg that will produce a healthy embryo. It's a particularly critical question for fertility doctors deciding which eggs isolated from a woman will produce the best embryos and, ultimately, babies.New research reveals healthy eggs need a tremendous amount of zinc to reach maturity and be ready for fertilization,a finding that may ultimately help physicians assess the best eggs for fertility treatment, according to a study from Northwestern University.

10 Aug 2010

Thymosin beta 4 is essential to healthy heart development, embryonic survival: Research

RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that a research team from the Molecular Medicine Unit at UCL-Institute of Child Health in London reported preclinical findings that Thymosin beta 4, is essential to healthy heart development and embryonic survival.

2 Aug 2010

Study implicates Fritz's role in human genetic disorders

Mutations in a gene known as "Fritz" may be responsible for causing human genetic disorders such as Bardet-Biedl syndrome, University of Texas at Austin developmental biologist John Wallingford and Duke University human geneticist and cell biologist Nicholas Katsanis have found.

31 Jul 2010

Highlights on reasoning behind MRC's negative decision on funding of IVF

Thirty-two years ago today, the world's first baby was born after in vitro fertilisation. However, the work that led to the birth of Louise Brown on 25 July 1978 had to be privately funded after the UK's Medical Research Council decided in 1971 against providing the Cambridge physiologist Robert Edwards and the Oldham gynaecologist Patrick Steptoe with long-term financial support. Today, an intriguing paper published in Europe's leading reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction reveals for the first time the reasoning behind the MRC's much-criticised decision.

26 Jul 2010

Univfy, Stanford scientists develop first validated prognostic test for predicting IVF live birth outcomes

Univfy, a pioneer in the development of personalized in vitro fertilization (IVF) prognostic tools, announced today the publication of new research findings in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) by its founding scientific team and clinical collaborators from Stanford University.

20 Jul 2010

Tet 1 protein helps stem cells renew themselves and stay pluripotent: Researchers

Take a skin cell from a patient with Type 1 diabetes. Strip out everything that made it a skin cell, then reprogram it to grow into a colony of pancreatic beta cells. Implant these into your patient and voilà! She's producing her own insulin like a pro.

19 Jul 2010