Embryo News and Research

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Researchers develop low-carb corn with enhanced protein and oil

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside reported the development of technology that doubles the protein and oil content of corn while reducing its carbohydrate content, a boost for growers to feed both people and livestock.

4 May 2004

Scientists have discovered a genetic cause of cleft lip and palate in mice

By watching mice “dance” and comparing the DNA of the dancers to their flat-footed siblings, scientists have discovered a genetic cause of cleft lip and palate in mice, a finding that is already being used to search for a similar genetic defect in humans.

29 Apr 2004

Dolly the sheeps creators harbour no desire to clone humans

The Scottish institute that cloned Dolly the sheep wants to clone human embryos to study motor neurone disease.

21 Apr 2004

Infertile couples may be unaware of multiple birth risks

Multiple births -- twins, triplets or more babies in one pregnancy -- have more risks of infant death and long-term disabilities such as cerebral palsy than births of single babies do. However, many couples seeking infertility treatments desire multiples and have poor knowledge particularly about the risks for twins, a University of Iowa study reported.

20 Apr 2004

First IVF embryo research licenses issued in Australia

Australia’s first licences allowing research using excess human embryos were issued today by the Embryo Research Licensing Committee of the National Health and Medical Research Council, (The NHMRC Licensing Committee).

17 Apr 2004

IVF improvements in United States

Since its introduction in the United States, assisted reproduction technology has helped allow women to conceive more than a million babies.

16 Apr 2004

Fertility specialists find multiple birth rate declining

During the past decade in the United States, increasing attention has been paid to lowering the incidence of multiple gestations resulting from the use of assisted reproductive technology. To determine whether such efforts have been successful, we assessed national trends in embryo-transfer practice patterns and in outcomes after the use of assisted reproductive technology.

14 Apr 2004

Protein kinase complex influences the outer layer of skin to control the eventual shape of the full-grown skeleton and skull

Continuing studies about an important regulatory protein kinase complex called I-kappa-B kinase (or IKK) have now shown that a subunit of IKK – IKK alpha – influences the outer layer of skin in developing mice to control the eventual shape of the full-grown skeleton and skull.

7 Apr 2004

Zebrafish show effects of ionizing and UV radiation differ during embryo development

Adam Dicker, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of radiation oncology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson’s Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Mary Frances McAleer, M.D., Ph.D., a resident in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Jefferson Medical College and their co-workers compared the effects on zebrafish embryos of two types of radiation – ionizing radiation, which is the kind given to patients for cancer treatment, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which comes naturally from the sun.

30 Mar 2004

Research suggests protein released from lungs could initiate labour

A protein released from the lungs of a developing mouse fetus initiates a cascade of chemical events leading to the mother's initiation of labor, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have found.

22 Mar 2004

Japanese study raises concerns for childhood health issues

The number of children suffering from mental disorders and health problems such as allergies and asthma has risen sharply over the past decade in this country. The United States and European countries are also facing the increasingly serious problems of premature births and childhood obesity, in addition to allergic reactions. Many experts say the rise in health problems involving children is related to the use of chemicals in our daily lives and the impact of medical treatment provided to the children's mothers.

22 Mar 2004

Scientists identify blood development gene which may aid the fight against cancer and leukemia

Researchers at Harvard-affiliated Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have pinpointed a crucial gene on which the normal development of the body's entire blood system depends. If the gene is absent, even the most basic blood stem cells cannot be generated. In a mutated form, this gene can cause a rare and devastating form of leukemia.

22 Mar 2004