July 2010

Alcohol reduces the severity of rheumatoid arthritis

Drinking alcohol may reduce the severity of rheumatoid arthritis according to new research published today. It is the first time that this effect has been shown in humans. The study also finds that alcohol consumption reduces the risk of developing the disease, confirming the results of previous studies. The study which is published online today […]

Revealed: the reasons why the MRC did not fund research that led to the birth of the world’s first test tube baby

Thirty-two years ago today, the world’s first baby was born after in vitro fertilisation. However, the work that led to the birth of Louise Brown on 25 July 1978 had to be privately funded after the UK’s Medical Research Council decided in 1971 against providing the Cambridge physiologist Robert Edwards and the Oldham gynaecologist Patrick […]