Bioethicists are calling for tighter regulation of the insurance industry when it comes to genetic testing.

Researchers say that some Australians have been unable to take out insurance policies because of results contained in their genetic tests.

They say this is having an effect not only on individuals, but also on the progress of genomic research in Australia.

Hear the full ABC Radio interview with Prof John Rasko.

The first-ever approval of a Cell-based Gene Therapy by the Federal Drug Administration in the US has finally come – after many years of research and development into our long-held belief that DNA holds the key to a possible cure for disease.

Our own Professor John Rasko is Head of Cell and Molecular Therapies at RPA Hospital in Sydney and President-Elect of the International Society for Cellular Therapy – he is delighted that the day has arrived.

“This is a day we’ve been waiting for” he says “… the thought that we could ‘turbo-charge’ the immune system has been around for decades – so to have a working and approved treatment based on these ideas is fantastic.”

With this new ‘Car-T’ therapy, blood from a patient is removed and the T-cells genetically modified to help them identify the diseased Cancer cells and destroy them. These Car-T cells are reintroduced to the patient’s blood stream through a normal blood infusion, where they massively expand and go to work – killing the tumour cells… in just the same way that your body identifies and deals with bacteria and viruses.

“Just one single modified T-cell is capable of killing thousands, or tens of thousands, of Cancer cells” says Professor Rasko.

Cure The Future are actively involved raising funds for Car-T research (see below)

Hear the full ABC Radio interview about Car-T therapy with Prof John Rasko.

Should unproven stem cell therapies be regulated?

A group of 15 senior doctors and researchers from around the world have published a paper calling for worldwide regulations against unproven stem cell therapies.

Warnings that a treatment is “unproven” or “untested” might not deter those who are seriously or terminally ill and have no other option.

That’s given rise to a market for expensive treatments that don’t have scientific backing — particularly in the field of stem cell therapy.