March 2, 2016
PLOS Medicine (vol. 13, no. 2, 2016) is available online by subscription only. Articles include: “Transforming Living Kidney Donation with a Comprehensive Strategy” by Matthew B. Allen and Peter P. Reese “The Rise of Consumer Health Wearables: Promises and Barriers” by Lukasz Piwek, … Read More
March 1, 2016
(Medical Xpress) – Transplant surgeons report that obtaining organs from deceased organ donors costs much less and leads to a higher number of transplantable organs recovered when brain-dead donors are moved from the hospital to an independent, freestanding facility dedicated … Read More
February 26, 2016
(The Washington Post) – A 26-year-old patient is the nation’s first recipient of a uterus transplant, doctors from the Cleveland Clinic announced on Thursday. The grueling nine-hour surgery took place on Wednesday, and the patient — who received the organ of … Read More
February 25, 2016
The New England Journal of Medicine (vol. 374, no. 5, 2016) is available online by subscription only. Articles include: “The Cadillac Tax—A Crucial Tool for Delivery-System Reform” by J. Furman and M. Fiedler “Leaping without Looking—Duty Hours, Autonomy, and the Risks … Read More
February 24, 2016
(Eurekalert) – A new practical manual addresses the controversial topic of organ donation after euthanasia, providing guidance to clinicians whose patients have requested euthanasia and the desire to offer their organs to others in need. The manual is published in … Read More
February 22, 2016
(NPR) – Earlier this week, officials at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore announced they had received approval to begin conducting the first organ transplants from HIV-positive donors to HIV-positive recipients. This comes after a 2013 change … Read More
February 18, 2016
(Medical Xpress) – Using a sophisticated, custom-designed 3D printer, regenerative medicine scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have proved that it is feasible to print living tissue structures to replace injured or diseased tissue in patients. Reporting in Nature … Read More
February 18, 2016
(Reuters) – A U.S. soldier wounded in an explosion will be the first person in the United States to receive a penis transplant, doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital said, which could open the way for about 60 other servicemen with … Read More
February 18, 2016
(Australian Broadcasting Co) – In one local village, 70 per cent of people have no employment and spend their days scavenging through rubbish. It is here, about 200 kilometres south-east of Jakarta, the ABC found evidence of an organ trafficking … Read More
February 15, 2016
(Fox News) – Five people are set to go on trial in Costa Rica for their alleged roles in a major organ trafficking ring that sold kidneys harvested in the Central American nation to buyers in Israel. Costa Rica’s Prosecutor’s … Read More
February 9, 2016
(Washington Post) – The rules governing organ procurement, patient eligibility, ranking of wait lists and accreditation of hospitals that can perform transplants are extremely complex in the United States, and until recently the use of organs from HIV-positive individuals had … Read More
February 8, 2016
(Sydney Morning Herald) – The head of China’s organ-transplant program cautioned the University of Sydney that controversy over his appointment to an honorary position could damage reforms to end China’s horrific practice of removing organs from executed prisoners. The university … Read More
February 8, 2016
(Eurekalert) – Cotton candy machines may hold the key for making life-sized artificial livers, kidneys, bones and other essential organs. For several years, Leon Bellan, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Vanderbilt University, has been tinkering with cotton candy machines, … Read More
February 3, 2016
Bioethics (vol. 30, no. 2, 2016) is available online by subscription only. Articles include: “Pediatric Chiropractic Care: The Subluxation Question and Referral Risk” by Samuel Homola “No Understanding, No Consent: The Case Against Alternative Medicine” by Arianne Shahvisi “Alternative Medicine … Read More
January 29, 2016
(Medical Xpress) – The nation’s transplant system is proposing wider geographic sharing of adult hearts and a new way of ranking prospective recipients on waiting lists so organs more often get to the sickest patients. The proposal, open for public … Read More
January 27, 2016
(Los Angeles Times) – A Texas grand jury investigating allegations of misconduct against Planned Parenthood after the release of covertly-shot videos about the use of fetal tissue from abortions has instead indicted two antiabortion activists who made the videos, authorities … Read More
January 26, 2016
(Newsweek) – After the organ was transplanted into the body of a 21-year-old woman with chronic heart problems, the Indian new media celebrated the “green corridor,” a roadway cleared for organ transport, as a heroic feat. Meanwhile, four students in … Read More
January 21, 2016
(Medical Xpress) – Sri Lanka banned kidney transplants for foreign nationals on Thursday following reports of an organised organ harvesting racket involving patients and donors from neighbouring India. Health minister Rajitha Senaratne said he ordered the immediate halt after Indian … Read More
January 19, 2016
(New Scientist) – The head transplant juggernaut rolls on. Last year, maverick surgeon Sergio Canavero caused a worldwide storm when he revealed his plan to attempt a human head transplant to New Scientist. He claimed that the surgical protocol would … Read More
January 18, 2016
(CNN) – Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit Thursday against the anti-abortion activists who secretly taped the group’s officials talking about the sale of fetal tissue and released the heavily edited videos last year. The videos sparked a political firestorm in … Read More
January 12, 2016
Nature Biotechnology (vol. 34, no. 1, 2016) is available online by subscription only. Articles include: “Xenotransplantation Makes a Comeback” by Jeffrey M. Perkel “This Time May Be Different” by Bruce L. Booth “The Global Pipeline of GM Crops out to 2020” … Read More
January 7, 2016
(MIT News) – A new technique for programming human stem cells to produce different types of tissue on demand may ultimately allow personalized organs to be grown for transplant patients. The technique, which also has near-term implications for growing organ-like … Read More
January 6, 2016
(MIT Technology Review) – Braving a funding ban put in place by America’s top health agency, some U.S. research centers are moving ahead with attempts to grow human tissue inside pigs and sheep with the goal of creating hearts, livers, … Read More
January 5, 2016
(The Conversation) – Last year, an estimated 12 to 15 registered organ donors and candidates for donation had their decision thwarted by relatives. This was due to the so-called family veto, which enables family members to prevent organ donation even … Read More
January 4, 2016
(Washington Post) – Dialysis patients make up about one percent of the Medicare population, but paying for dialysis costs seven percent of the entire Medicare budget. Clearly there is a strong need for innovative new therapies and approaches to the … Read More
