Indian doctors refuse to treat dying “untouchable”
"Dalit" woman's baby dies in corridorIndia is sending mixed signals to the world about attitudes there towards the dignity of women. In one distressing story,...
Human-chimp hybrids might have useful organs
Fascination with hybrids has long historyAs the vote on Britain’s new fertility legislation draws near, a Scottish bioethicist has warned that the present draft allows...
Philippines bans transplants for foreigners
About-face in government policyThe Philippines government has yielded to pressure and has banned kidney transplants for foreigners. This officially puts an end to a lucrative...
Embryonic stem cells morph into heart cells
Could be useful for drug testingScientists have succeeded in turning human embryonic stem cells into three types of heart muscle cells, although they warn that...
Stem cell cosmetic hype
But creams contain no stem cells Cosmetics companies are cleaning up by marketing stem cell creams for skin rejuvenation for up to US$190 a jar....
Irish experts back embryo research
And fail to oppose cloning and egg marketsThe Irish government's bioethics experts have recommended that it legalise research on "supernumerary", or spare, IVF embryos, even...
Philippines a “hot spot” for organ trafficking
Government could set up organ marketThe Philippines has become a "hot spot" for human organ trafficking, say Filipino kidney specialists. In some desperately poor communities,...
You can’t help it, German scientists reveal
Button pressing indicates that brain chooses, not consciousnessA team of German researchers claims to have hard evidence that there is no free will. In a...
Life expectancy declines for some Americans
"Unheard of", says researcherNo statistic symbolises the metronomic onwards-and-upwards tramp of progress than ever-increasing life expectancy. So it has come as a shock to Americans...
US Army funds stem cell research for wounded soldiers
A "dream team" of experts in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine Even the Pentagon is taking an interest in stem cell research. A US$250 million...
Egyptian doctors accused of human rights abuse over gay crackdown
Unethical to collaborate with governmentEgyptian doctors have come under fire for collaborating with their government’s drive to jail homosexuals. A letter from 117 different human...
“Moral character” not relevant for Massachusetts doctors
Dispute between doctors and government board "Moral character" should not be a criterion for fitness to practice medicine in Massachusetts, says the head of the...