Stem Cell Research
Scientists are blazing a new trail to fight AIDS, inserting HIV-resistant genes into stem cells and inserting them into patients' bone marrow. And in a small human trial, some of the stem cells were able to produce HIV-resistant stem cells that helped improve their condition. Report
President Barack Obama says that he wants new legislation allowing wider federal support for stem cell research, though he adds that he is still considering achieving the same objective through an executive order. Story
A new study suggests that adult bone marrow stem cells can be used in the construction of artificial skin. The findings mark an advancement in wound healing and may be used to pioneer a method of organ reconstruction. Release
Australia's Mesoblast Limited says it has received Australian institutional ethics approval to begin the first human trial of adult stem cell treatment for prevention of knee osteoarthritis after an acute traumatic knee injury. Release
Genetics
A new study says that three newly identified genetic variations could be responsible for up to half of all cases of severe obesity. Report
There's a growing debate whether the genetic similarities between schizophrenia and bipolar disease mean that both ailments are a continuum of the same disease. Story
Researchers say they have identified a genetic mutation that all but guarantees a person will develop heart problems--and four percent of South Asians have it. Report
Cancer Research
InNexus Biotechnology reports that a primate study has underscored the safety and efficacy of its experimental therapy for non-Hodgkins lymphoma tumors. Report
deCODE genetics, an Iceland-based biopharmaceutical company, has launched new genetic scans for assessing personal risk of several major cardiovascular diseases and common cancers through deCODEme. Report