The babies born with DNA from three parents
Eight healthy babies born after IVF using DNA from three people
Support the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
11 minutes ago
- The Independent
WeightWatchers boss says ‘exciting work to do' amid impact of weight loss jabs
WeightWatchers was slower to adapt to the emergence of anti-obesity jabs than rivals, its boss has admitted, as the 62-year-old brand strives to catch up with rapidly evolving attitudes towards weight loss. Tara Comonte, chief executive of the US-based business, said it had a lot of work to do after going through a 'reset'. WeightWatchers recently announced it had emerged from bankruptcy after writing off a portion of the 1.15 billion US dollar (£860 million) debt on its balance sheet. It came as the business was competing with the emergence of GLP-1s – the scientific term for weight loss jabs, which work by reducing food cravings – and a new wave of apps and advice spreading on social media. Ms Comonte told the PA news agency that it 'wasn't as quick to medical weight loss solutions' as some other firms in the US, notably so-called 'telehealth' businesses that offer healthcare remotely. WeightWatchers, which runs some 20,000 workshops each month globally, is now 'at the beginning of the journey' towards forging a new place in the industry and meeting demand from current and future members, Ms Comonte said. 'This whole industry is going through somewhat of a reset and we have exciting work to do,' she told the PA news agency. 'This is a moment where, possibly more than ever before, people are talking about weight, and weight health… where people are seeking more education than ever before, and there are more voices than ever before.' Ms Comonte said the brand was known for 'trust and science' and it was important to harness that 'as there are more and more voices in the ecosystem'. WeightWatchers recently partnered with anti-obesity drugs provider CheqUp in the UK so patients taking the medication can access its 'companion' diet and lifestyle support app. It forms part of its efforts to muscle into the market by offering behavioural strategies and community-based support to people using or coming off the medication. 'There's no 'us and them' anymore,' Ms Comonte told PA, hitting back at weight loss jabs often being pitted as rivals to its model. Dr Kim Boyde, WeightWatchers' newly appointed chief medical officer, said not all its members will want or need weight loss medication – but stressed that it was 'imperative' the programme offers it to those that might benefit. Recent estimates suggest that about 1.5 million people in the UK are taking weight loss jabs. Health officials have suggested that they can help to turn the tide on obesity, but have stressed they are not a silver bullet and do come with side effects.
Telegraph
12 minutes ago
- Telegraph
The current testing system for prostate cancer is failing too many men
SIR – Congratulations on your campaign (Leading Article, July 26) for a targeted screening programme for prostate cancer. My own diagnosis earlier this year made me realise that a national screening test is urgently needed. I was (and still am) asymptomatic, and have no known family history. I requested a PSA test from my GP following a chance meeting with an acquaintance who had recently been diagnosed with localised advanced prostate cancer – he had originally decided against a test, but was persuaded after learning of Sir Chris Hoy's experience. I am now being treated for localised advanced (high risk) prostate cancer. Your reports of men having to request a PSA test from their GP several times, even with symptoms, are appalling. A friend of a family member had a similar experience. He had experienced typical symptoms and went to see his GP, who gave him various blood and other tests, but notably not a PSA test. Having sought a second opinion privately, he was then diagnosed with prostate cancer, which has spread throughout his body. I know men who have received an unenthusiastic response from their GP; other men are completely ignorant of the cancer and its symptoms. The status quo is a disaster for men. I fully support your campaign and your call for better training and awareness for GPs. Geoff Stevens Harrogate, North Yorkshire SIR – I was repeatedly refused the PSA test by GPs on the grounds that the test was too sensitive and unreliable. I eventually managed to persuade a GP to comply, but only because I refused to be placed on statins, which were to be prescribed for no other reason than my age. The results of the test were elevated but, after treatment, at least I am now one of those who will die with, hopefully not of, prostate cancer. The worst irony of my experience was the revelation, from the nurse specialist who took my family history, that because my mother and maternal grandmother had both died of breast cancer, I was in a higher risk category. Had I known this, I might have convinced previous GPs to test my PSA earlier and maybe even qualified for prostatectomy, like younger friends and relatives with whom I have compared notes, thereby avoiding the unpleasant side effects of radiotherapy. Dermod Malley Halstead, Essex SIR – All men need to be tested for prostate cancer. My husband had no signs or symptoms, but we had lost a friend to the disease, so our enlightened GP ordered a PSA test which indicated that my husband, then 55, had a problem. Our son has been tested since he was 45 years old. My husband and his specialist fought it for 22 years but sadly he lost his battle in 2019. Marilla Blenkin Ashford, Kent
The Guardian
12 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Demand for weight loss drugs is becoming unsustainable, say pharmacists
Demand for weight loss drugs is becoming so 'unsustainable' that demand may soon outstrip supply, pharmacists have warned. The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) said supply problems could encourage people to turn to unregulated online sources, despite the risks involved. The number of people in the UK using drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro has soared to well above a million, with most patients paying to get them privately. During April, 1.6m packs of Mounjaro and Wegovy were bought in Britain, with the number thought to correlate closely with the number of people using them. 'Spiralling demand for weight loss medication risks going far beyond what is clinically deliverable', the NPA said. The drugs might need to be reserved for those in greatest need because they are so overweight instead of being given to the 'worried well', it added. New polling has found that 21% of Britons have tried to get hold of the medications over the past year, a figure that rises to 35% among 18- to 34-year-olds. The same survey found that 41% of all age groups would use them if they were free on the NHS. This figure rose to 64% among those aged 25-34. Savanta interviewed a representative sample of 2,002 adults aged 18 or over online from 20-23 June for the NPA, which represents 6,000 independent pharmacies. 'Weight loss jabs are one of the biggest drug innovations this century but growing demand for weight loss treatment highlights the need to make sure this is appropriate for those who want it,' said Olivier Picard, the NPA's chair. 'It's clear from this polling that more people are interested in getting weight loss jabs than can benefit from weight loss medication.' Supply of the medicines has been hit by shortages in some parts of the UK, including for higher doses of Mounjaro, the NPA said. Supply has been restricted to some pharmacies, which has stopped some new patients from going on to the drugs. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the UK's drugs watchdog, has warned patients to obtain the drugs only with a doctor's prescription, and not from beauty parlours or websites. A Department of Health spokesperson said more people would be able to obtain 'revolutionary' weight loss jabs over the next few years. 'Weight loss drugs are a powerful tool in tackling the obesity crisis head-on as part of our 10-year health plan', they added. 'This government is committed to ensuring that more people have access to these revolutionary drugs when needed, and crucially that they are able to do so in a safe and controlled way. We will ensure that those most in need will receive treatment first.' About 220,000 people in England are due to be offered tirzepatide, a diabetes drug that promotes weight loss, over the next three years. Pharmacies already provide about 85% of all weight loss drugs and need to be closely involved in the expansion of access, Picard added. 'The government should use the massive untapped expertise and skills of pharmacists to help speed up the NHS's weight loss medication programme to millions of the most in need patients,' he said.
