Why more women are having babies at 50 and beyond
Being a trailblazer is familiar territory for Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill. She was the first disabled vet to serve in Congress, the first Asian American representative to be elected from Illinois and come spring she'll chalk up another milestone -- the first Senator to give birth while serving in the chamber. Duckworth is expected to deliver her second child a few weeks after she turns 50, a time when many woman expect the end of fertility and the beginning of menopause to be
Breakthrough as scientists grow sheep embryos containing human cells
Growing human organs inside other animals has taken another step away from science-fiction, with researchers announcing they have grown sheep embryos containing human cells. Scientists say growing human organs inside animals could not only increase supply, but also offer the possibility of genetically tailoring the organs to be compatible with the immune system of the patient receiving them, by using the patient’s own cells in the procedure, removing the possibility of reject
Inflammation in testes could explain link between obesity and reduced fertility
A new study sheds light on how obesity may contribute to male infertility. Published in open-access journal Frontiers in Physiology, the study reports that obese men have increased levels of inflammatory markers in their seminal fluid and lower sperm quality, both of which correlate with their body mass index (BMI). The findings suggest that chronic inflammation in male reproductive organs explains the link between obesity and reduced fertility. Obesity is a significant globa
Lab-grown eggs could pave way towards new fertility treatments
Human eggs have been fully grown in a laboratory, in a move that could lead to improved fertility treatments. Scientists have grown egg cells, which were removed from ovary tissue at their earliest stage of development, to the point at which they are ready to be fertilized. The advance could safeguard the fertility of girls with cancer ahead of potentially harmful medical treatment, such as chemotherapy. Immature eggs recovered from patients' ovarian tissue could be matured i
New CRISPR method efficiently corrects Duchenne muscular dystrophy defect in heart tissue
Scientists have developed a CRISPR gene-editing technique that can potentially correct a majority of the 3,000 mutations that cause Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) by making a single cut at strategic points along the patient's DNA, according to a study from UT Southwestern Medical Center. The method, successfully tested in heart muscle cells from patients, offers an efficient alternative to the daunting task of developing an individualized molecular treatment for each gene
2nd man has gene editing; therapy has no safety flags so far
A second patient has been treated in a historic gene editing study in California, and no major side effects or safety issues have emerged from the first man's treatment nearly three months ago, doctors revealed. Gene editing is a more precise way to do gene therapy, and aims to permanently change someone's DNA to try to cure a disease. In November, 44-year-old Brian Madeux became the first person to have gene editing inside the body for a metabolic disease called Hunter syndr
As many as 1 in 20 US kids harmed by alcohol in the womb, study says
More children have been affected by drinking during pregnancy than previously thought, according to a study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Up to one in 20 American kids falls somewhere on the spectrum of disorders caused by maternal drinking, according to the study's more conservative estimate. But that number could be as many as 1 in 10, using another approach outlined in the study. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are a group of condit
Scientists Just Cloned Monkeys. Humans Could Be Next.
Since the birth of Dolly the sheep in 1996, scientists across the globe have used the same technique to clone nearly two dozen other animal species, including cats, dogs, rats, and cattle. Primates, however, had proven resistant to the process — until now. In a new study published in Cell, a team of Chinese researchers led by Qiang Sun at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Neuroscience in Shanghai reveal that they’ve found a way to tweak the Dolly cloning technique
