C18 Lessons from human embryo

Human embryo research: lessons from history.

Lessons from the human embryo debate

Britain has given the green light for research on stem cells derived from human embryos. Nigel Williams reports on the discussion ahead of this controversial decision.

Patterning lessons from a dorsalized embryo.

A paper by Nunes da Fonseca and colleagues in this issue of Developmental Cell shows that, to pattern its dorsoventral axis, the beetle Tribolium utilizes many of the same genes used in flies, but in very different ways: rather than relying on maternal information, it uses Dorsal and Dpp as part of two coordinated ancestral self-organized systems.

Embryo research: are there any lessons from natural reproduction?

Harris begins his provocative paper in this way: I make two appeals to consistency, or to “parity of reasoning,” that I believe show that no one who either has used or intends to use sexual reproduction as their means of procreation, nor indeed anyone who has unprotected heterosexual intercourse, nor anyone who finds in vitro fertilization (IVF) acceptable, nor anyone who believes that abortion...

Eating Time Modulations of Physiology and Health: Life Lessons from Human and Ruminant Models

Tissue nutrient supply may be synchronized with endogenous physiological rhythms to optimize animal and human health. Glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity have endogenous rhythms that are not essentially dependent on food type and eating. Human glucose tolerance declines as day comes into night. Based on such evolutionary findings, large evening meals must be avoided to reduce risks of vis...