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A man with severe burns was saved by skin grafts from his twin
A 33 year-old man with third degree burns covering virtually all of his body has been saved thanks to skin grafts from his twin brother. He was treated at the Saint Louis Hospital burns unit by teams led by Professor Mimoun (plastic and reconstructive surgery) and...
A brain implant to improve memory
Scientists at the University of Southern Carolina (USA) have allegedly increased the memory function of volunteers by up to 30% thanks to a brain implant. The scientists presented this "world first" during the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, which was...
An antidiabetic medicine to end transplant rejection?
An antidiabetic medicinal product under development could be used to stop graft rejection, thus replacing immunosuppressants which cause numerous side effects[1]. The discovery was made by scientists at Queen Mary University in London. They noted...
An ovarian tissue transplant performed on baboons without using immunosuppressants
In Kenya, an international team of doctors [1] has successfully performed an ovarian tissue transplant on baboons without using immunosuppressants. They describe their experiment as a world first in the Journal of Assisted Reproductive Genetics. ...
Genetics, neuroscience and robots: Pope Francis reminds us of the ethical responsibility of scientists
At the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for Culture in mid-November, Pope Francis delivered a speech in keeping with the topic of this meeting, namely “unravelling anthropological models that underpin new ideologies” in the areas of medicine and genetics and...
United States: an accelerated process to market gene and cell therapies
Last week, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the implementation of an accelerated review process for gene therapies and regenerative medical treatments. The purpose of these new guidelines is to accelerate the marketing of "effective gene...
Switzerland: new guidelines for assisted suicide and sedation
On Friday, the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences presented an up-date on guidelines relating to end of life and death. The last version was issued in 2004 in this country where assisted suicide is legal and sharply rising (see Assisted suicide rising sharply in...
Head transplant on corpses: a controversial announcement
On Friday, neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero announced at a press conference in Vienna that he had succeeded in carrying out a head transplant on two corpses. This was a "preamble to transplanting the head of a living volunteer", which he plans to carry out in China in...
United Kingdom: A new Charlie Gard case?
In London, a couple is fighting to keep their eight-month-old son alive. Isaiah Hasstrup suffered brain damage at birth, and was placed on an artificial respirator at King’s College Hospital. However, the medical team believes that further treatment would be...
Abortion: a Californian law comes before the United States Supreme Court
The United States Supreme Court has just announced that, in early 2018, it will hear an appeal against a Californian law which obliges "private anti-abortion organisations" to inform pregnant women that they can appeal for an abortion and methods of...
Canada: legislation governing paediatric organ donation after circulatory death
Canada has just published "initial guidelines regarding paediatric organ donation after circulatory death" in the scientific "Pediatric Critical Care Medicine" journal. When "some patients have significant brain damage", "doctors will often switch off the...
Over 100 Irish children born through surrogacy abroad since 2010
During the last decade, over 100 babies born through surrogacy in India, Ukraine and Thailand have entered Ireland with their intended parents through emergency travel certificates. Thirty-two children were affected in just one year - 2015. To bypass the law, the...