Special Report: The Ethics of Genetics

August 11, 2005

http://www.guardian.co.uk/genes/0,2759,395698,00.html

Latest

Fertility watchdog considers cancer gene screeningAugust 12: Families with a history of cancers and other inherited diseases may soon be able to ensure their babies do not have the genes responsible by opting for IVF instead of natural conception.

Cloned dog 'Snuppy'

After Dolly the sheep comes Snuppy the puppyAugust 4: Scientists have finally broken the hound barrier - they have cloned an Afghan puppy called Snuppy from the skin cells of a three-year-old male hound.

Koreans create something exactly like a hound dogAugust 3: A team of South Korean scientists announced today that they have successfully cloned a dog for the first time.

Stem cell therapy

Senate challenge to Bush on stem cell researchJuly 30: In a rare challenge to the authority of President George Bush by a senior Republican, the Senate majority leader, Bill Frist, yesterday said he would support legislation to remove some of the administration's limitations on embryonic stem cell research. 13.07.05: UK firm renews stem cell hope23.06.05: Scottish stem cell firm plans Aim float20.06.05: Scientists forge ahead with stem cell research01.06.05: Research boosts hope for stem cell therapy

New research

The mystery of twins August 7: New research is revealing how genes influence our earliest behaviour, and studies of twins underline how this affects us all. Jo Revill and Anushka Asthana report. 07.08.05: Twins hold key to unravelling maths gene

Sperm and eggs 'could be created from stem cells'June 20: Scientists have raised the possibility that fertilised human embryos might be created in a laboratory dish from artificial sperm and eggs before being implanted in the womb.

Sexuality

Female orgasm all in the genesJune 8: As one study ponders evolutionary reasons for some women's difficulty reaching climax, another draws a map of modern romance.

Human cloning

Cloning plan poses new ethical dilemmaJuly 26: Scientist courts controversy with call for women to donate eggs.

Clone coup puts UK back on topMay 22, leader: Hail the British knowledge revolution.

DNA pioneer accuses Britain over slow pace of stem cell researchMay 21: James Watson, the biologist who won a Nobel Prize for unravelling the secrets of DNA with Francis Crick in 1953, has launched a scathing attack on Britain for its "piss poor" approach to stem cell research.

'We need not feel overwhelmed'May 21, Press review: This week's advances in stem cell research are breakthroughs, not threats.

UK breakthrough as human embryo clonedMay 20: Scientists in Newcastle have successfully cloned a human embryo, placing Britain at the forefront of the cutting edge but highly controversial field of embryonic stem cell technology. 20.05.05: A giant step forward but quest for new treatments goes on20.05.05: Advance heralds 'personalised medicine'20.05.05: Process holds out hope for childless couples

Baldness gene found

Scientists find a gene that leads to baldnessMay 23: Men with hair loss can now stop hiding behind expensive unguents: baldness is largely mum's fault.

Interactive guide

CloningGraphic: Find out more with our click-through guide.

Comment and analysis

'It wouldn't actually save a single embryo'May 27, press review: The logic behind a Bush veto is flawed.

Cloning and the push for clinical trialsMay 21, Ian Sample: There could be a huge global commercial market for stem-cell science; Britain is well placed to exploit it, but time is running out.

The challenge of the biotech centuryMay 21: This week's cloning breakthrough highlighted the potential of stem cell research; but is it ethical? No, says Nigel Cameron; yes, says Robin Lovell-Badge.

A new medical frontierMay 20, Leader: Medical science made two progressive steps forward yesterday. The first good news came from Newcastle's NHS fertility clinic, which became the first unit in Europe to clone a human embryo.

Explained

Q & A: Stem cell cloningMay 20: Embryonic stem cell technology could soon provide a cure for conditions such as Alzheimer's and diabetes, but the process is highly controversial. Simon Jeffery explains.

Q & A: embryo cloningSimon Jeffery and Jane Perrone examine the issues involved.

Law

Creating a baby to save sibling is legal, rule lordsApril 29: The controversy over "saviour siblings", children created to help treat a brother or sister with a genetic disorder, was finally put to rest yesterday when the UK's highest court ruled it to be lawful.

DNA database

Scientist calls for world DNA databaseApril 11: Everyone in the world should have their genetic profile stored on a database, but the information should be held independently of the authorities, according to the pioneer of DNA fingerprinting.

Gene rewriting

'Editing' technique can rewrite genesApril 4: Scientists at a company in California have developed a potentially revolutionary technique to permanently rewrite any gene in the human body, offering hope of a cure to many with inherited diseases.

Genetically selected babies

Watchdog rejects genetic profiling of babiesApril 1: The genetic profiling of babies to determine which diseases they may be prone to was rejected yesterday on the grounds of ethics - but only for the time being.

Photo gallery

Those cloned animalsIn pictures: Little Nicky, Dolly the sheep, the five 'knockout pigs' and other cloned animals. More photo galleries

Profile

Alison MurdochOctober 29: She is one of only two people in the UK who can legally clone human embryos. Her supporters have described her work as revolutionary. Her critics say her research merely gives false hope to desperate people.

Interactive guides

Genetics: an interactive primerOur guide to the sequencing of the human genetic code. The human genomeHuman cloning: how it might be doneMacromedia downloads

Genome on the web

Key genome linksGeneWatch UKBioIndustry AssociationCurrent patents list (pdf)Human genome projectCelera GenomicsSanger centre

Useful linksAmendment to the 1990 human fertilisation and embryology act Department of health report on stem cell cloning Government advisory group on stem cell cloning Catholic bishop's statement on cloning Church of England statement on cloning

Guardian special investigation

The race to buy lifePrivate firms, universities and charities are rushing to isolate and patent human genes before it is even understood what they do.

The gene geniusesThe four scientists who were the driving force behind the genome project.

Genome debate

What do you think?Is the gene rush out of control, or will this scientific revolution benefit mankind? Andrew Sheard of the BioIndustry Association, Sue Mayer of GeneWatch UK and Guardian science correspondent James Meek were here to debate the issues and answer your questions. Read their comments and have your say here.

The key playersJohn Sulston and Craig Venter give their opposing views on gene patenting.

The patents

Patent applications: full listA complete list of the applications for patents supplied to us by GeneWatch UK. (These are Adobe Acrobat PDF files; if you do not already have Acrobat Reader installed, you can download it here free).

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Special Report: The Ethics of Genetics

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