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Gene Drive: one step further towards irresponsibility
CRISPR tools have caused gene drive technology to resurface: it consists in stimulating the transmission of certain genes from one generation to the next, in order to affect noxious populations. First suggested to eradicate mosquitos carrying parasites, it is now...
![Charlie Gard: “The opportunity [for treatment] was lost”](https://www.genethique.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/charlie_gard_2_1.png)
Charlie Gard: “The opportunity [for treatment] was lost”
On Monday, 24 June, the parents of 11 month-old Charlie Gard, who is suffering from a rare genetic disorder, announced the end of their legal battle to keep their child alive. On 25 July, the Court had to decide (see Charlie Gard: Another hearing before the British...
The Netherlands Antilles: 15 million genetically modified mosquitoes soon to be released
On 6 July in the Netherlands, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment was authorised to release 15 million transgenic mosquitoes. They will be released over a period of twelve months on the Island of Saba, in the Netherlands Antilles. These...
Over the last 40 years – a disturbing decrease in the quality of sperm in the western world
A study carried out by an international team and published in the Human Reproduction Update journal on 25 July shows that sperm levels in men in western countries (America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand) have fallen by 50% in less than 40 years....
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: encouraging gene therapy trial in dogs
An article published on Tuesday in the Nature communications journal recounts the work of an international team of scientists [1] on Duchenne muscular dystrophy. They “succeeded in restoring muscular strength in dogs suffering from Duchenne muscular...
United States: first genetically modified human embryos
The Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) in Portland has just announced the genetic editing of "a large number of human embryos at the single-cell stage"[1] using CRISPR, a tool that allows genes to be modified "quickly and efficiently". This is the...
New York: woman gives birth to her first child conceived through post-mortem IVF
An American woman whose husband died two and a half years ago, gave birth to the couple's first child, Angelina, on Tuesday. In December 2014, her husband, a New York police officer, died, killed by bullets whilst in active service. When she learns of his death...
Heart surgery performed in utero – healthy baby delivered
In Canada, Kristine Barry was twenty weeks pregnant when she learned that her baby had two serious congenital heart defects. The heart was not pumping adequately to ensure the healthy flow of blood and oxygen through baby’s body. Doctors warned the mother that...
iPS cells: the next Japanese clinical trial to treat severe heart disease
In Japan, a project led by Professor Yoshiki Sawa and colleagues at Osaka University, is aiming to use iPS cells in a clinical trial involving three patients suffering from ischemic heart disease - a coronary disease which manifests as inadequate oxygen intake by...
Research focuses on a supple artificial heart made from silicone
Today, 26 million people around the world suffer from heart failure and donors are seldom found. An innovative artificial heart has been developed at the École polytechnique fédérale in Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich EPFZ), Switzerland....
Abortion in Canada fuels anger in Bishops
A speech delivered in early June in the Commons Chamber in Ottawa, Canada, by Foreign Affairs Minister, Chrystia Freeland, has triggered a reaction from Monsignor Douglas Crosby, Bishop of Hamilton and President of the Canadian Episcopal Conference. In her...
Luxembourg: MAP/ Surrogacy – the Legal Committee reconsiders rights
On 12 July, members of the Luxembourg Legal Committee considered parenting rights based on draft law 6568. The MPs focused priorities on protecting the superior right of the child, namely a child's right to know his/her biological origin. Similarly,...