designer baby news stories on Newser

Scientists Breed Mice From Stem Cell Alternative

Nick McMaster — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:26:01 CDT

Scientists in China have created mice using stem cells made from modified skin cells—hinting at an alternative to embryonic stem cells, the Washington Post reports. Separate teams used viruses to manipulate genes that caused mice skin cells to regress back into induced pluripotent stem cells—which, within a placenta...

Amid Outcry, Doc Backs Off Designer Babies

Katherine Thompson — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 09:40:00 CST

After backlash from doctors, ethicists, and the public, a fertility clinic that had promised parents the option to choose certain traits for their new babies has changed its claim slightly. “We’re going to limit it to people with genetic diseases because we just cannot keep up with what’s going on,...

Embryos Screened for Cancer Risk

Sam Gale Rosen — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 10:57:33 CDT

The British government is poised to OK a procedure that screens embryos for genes that greatly increase the risk—but do not necessarily cause—breast cancer. Two couples with strong family histories of the disease are expected to pioneer the technique, already approved in principle, and crank up the debate...