Dignitas goes international
The UK's House of Lords is debating Lord Joffe's private member's bill authorising voluntary euthanasia. After the debate is over, Lord Joffe, a former chairman...
Who will deliver our grandchildren?
Cerebral palsy litigation is crippling the profession of obstetrics, argue four doctors in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Although it has never been...
British high fliers too busy to conceive
A survey of fertility specialists by the London Telegraph has found that more and more women are seeking inappropriate IVF treatment because they are just...
Adult stem cell research progress
A number of promising developments in adult stem cell research have been reported over the past couple of weeks. They include: Mesenchymal stem cells from...
Chinese doctor thumbs nose at Western sceptics
The reputation of a Beijing doctor who uses cells from aborted foetuses to treat patients with spinal cord injuries and ALS is growing -- enough...
Italy supports feeding coma patients
Terri Schiavo would not have died in Italy, at least after a recent decision by its National Bioethics Committee. The committee decided that artificial nutrition...
Euthanasia back on boil in UK
Dutch doctors have found that few patients who ask for euthanasia are making a rational request for a good death. Writing in the Journal of...
Dignity therapy” helps dying patients
Researchers in Canada and Australia have found that helping dying patients relive and record important memories can ease end-of-life distress. So-called "dignity therapy" helps to...
Stem cell research not currently profitable
The commercial potential for stem cells is far more modest than its more enthusiastic boosters proclaim, according to a survey of the industry by consultants...
Is foetus farming the next big thing for stem cell scientists?
A member of the President's Council on Bioethics claims that some stem cell scientists believe that "foetus farming" will be needed to overcome the drawbacks...
California bioethicists forging stem cell standards
Bioethicists at the University of California San Francisco want scientists to adopt ethical guidelines for embryonic stem cell research now, even though treatment for diseases...
Danish sperm merchant to sail past UK fertility laws
A Danish entrepreneur is studying the possibility of anchoring fertility ships" in international waters to help people evade restrictive laws. Ole Schou, the founder of...