UCSF's Rinaudo Explains Relevance of Scottish Fertility Finding

Reacting to a report from Aberdeen University that two common treatments for fertility problems do not work, UCSF fertility expert Paolo Rinaudo, MD, PhD, featured in the May 23, 2008, edition of Science Café, replies that while “the article is interesting because of the use of the control group with no intervention, it is not applicable to standard US practice.” “In fact,” Rinaudo explains, “couples with unexplained infertility were treated with Clomid alone or intrauterine insemination (IUI) alone (or no treatment, as a control). Current recommendations [in the United States] are to perform Clomid together with IUI in case of unexplained infertility.” He adds, “A good, randomized trial to answer if Clomid plus IUI is better than expectant management [watchful waiting] is lacking. However, the best evidence today suggests that the combined approach should work.” UCSF’s Wall Comments on Latest Neanderthal Gene Discovery Mathematician and evolutionary geneticist Jeff Wall, PhD, of UCSF’s Institute for Human Genetics, is not yet willing to acknowledge that Neanderthals and human ancestors do not share any genes, despite a new report in Cell that adds new evidence to that conclusion. Wall was quoted in the August 8, 2008, issue of the Los Angeles Times. A January 2008 UCSF story on Wall’s work, written by Jeffrey Norris, can be found here.