November 26, 2024
(Wired) – Elon Musk’s brain implant company, Neuralink, announced on Tuesday that it is launching a study to test its implant for a new use: allowing a person to control a robotic arm using just their thoughts. “We’re excited to … Read More
November 22, 2024
(CNN) – More than 3,600 researchers from over 100 countries have analyzed more than 100 million cells from over 10,000 people, according to the latest update from an ambitious project launched in 2016 to produce an atlas of every single … Read More
November 21, 2024
(MIT Technology Review) – A two-hour interview is enough to accurately capture your values and preferences, according to new research from Stanford and Google DeepMind. Imagine sitting down with an AI model for a spoken two-hour interview. A friendly voice … Read More
November 18, 2024
(The Conversation) – Halassy is a success story of self-experimentation in medicine. She joins other examples, like Barry Marshall, who won the 2005 Noble prize in medicine following his work ingesting the Helicobacter bacterium to prove its role in gastritis … Read More
November 18, 2024
(NBC News) – The University of North Texas Health Science Center turned to alkaline hydrolysis to save money on cremations of human remains, budget documents show. State regulators have ordered a Texas medical school to immediately halt its practice of … Read More
November 15, 2024
BMC Medical Ethics has new articles available online. Articles include:
November 14, 2024
(Gizmodo) – Doctors say that Richard Slayman’s body did not reject a pig kidney modified to become more compatible with human biology. A historic medical accomplishment that ended in tragedy may yet have a silver lining. Doctors say that Richard … Read More
November 14, 2024
(Wall Street Journal) – Intermittent fasting probably isn’t the health hack you hoped it would be. More studies suggest the tactic can help you lose weight, but likely isn’t a silver bullet for other health improvements like lowering your inflammation … Read More
November 14, 2024
(Axios) – Life sciences companies are quickly integrating artificial intelligence into their work, but guardrails for using the technology are lagging, according to a survey from law firm Arnold & Porter. The big picture: 75% of the 100 senior life … Read More
November 13, 2024
(The Scientist) – Researchers used artificial intelligence in large genomics studies to fill in gaps in patient information and improve predictions, but new research uncovers false positives and misleading correlations. With AI-assisted GWAS [genome-wide association studies], Lu and his colleagues … Read More
November 11, 2024
(Wired) – After a Montana man illegally cloned and bred an endangered giant sheep species, government agencies must now contend with the illicit offspring. In September, a man from Montana was sentenced to six months in prison after he trafficked … Read More
November 11, 2024
European Journal of Human Genetics (vol. 32, no. 10, 2024) is available online by subscription only. Articles include:
November 8, 2024
(Nature) – Virologist Beata Halassy says self-treatment worked and was a positive experience — but researchers warn that it is not something others should try. A scientist who successfully treated her own breast cancer by injecting the tumour with lab-grown … Read More
November 7, 2024
(Nature) – Scientists raise the alarm following updated research ethics guidelines on heritable human genome editing. Researchers have voiced concerns after South Africa updated its health-research ethics guidelines to include a new section on heritable (or germline) human genome editing. … Read More
November 6, 2024
(Science) – Now, researchers have devised a strategy to circumvent that problem. Reporting in Nature, scientists say they have equipped human cells with custom-designed receptors that the viruses can bind to and use to sneak inside a cell. The study … Read More
November 6, 2024
Journal of Medical Ethics (vol. 50, no. 11, 2024) is available online by subscription only. Articles include:
November 5, 2024
(Nature) – Generative-AI technologies can create convincing scientific data with ease — publishers and integrity specialists fear a torrent of faked science. From scientists manipulating figures to the mass production of fake papers by paper mills, problematic manuscripts have long … Read More
November 4, 2024
(Axios) – Almost 200 countries at a UN biodiversity conference in Colombia agreed on a system for distributing proceeds from products derived from genetic information into a global conservation fund. Why it matters: Countries are seeking fair compensation for their … Read More
November 1, 2024
(New York Times) – The sticky, slimy goo plays an essential role in fighting off infections, shaping the gut microbiome and more. To many people, mucus is nothing more than a gross goo, something to be tossed away in a … Read More
November 1, 2024
(The Walrus) – Jonathan Pruitt was prolific, influential, and charming. Then academic sleuths started poking around Laskowski revealed that her ambition had drawn her into the web of prolific spider researcher Jonathan Pruitt, a behavioural ecologist at McMaster University in … Read More
October 31, 2024
(Science) – Revised Declaration of Helsinki stresses need for equity, protection of vulnerable groups, and research integrity The Declaration of Helsinki—a foundational text that outlines international ethical principles for medical research—has undergone one of the most extensive revisions since it … Read More
October 31, 2024
(Axios) – The Biden administration this week is hosting a first-of-its-kind international summit about the use of artificial intelligence in the life sciences as governments and private industry increasingly push the boundaries of biotechnology. Why it matters: The convergence of … Read More
October 30, 2024
(The Guardian) – In avatar therapy, a clinician gives voice to their patients’ inner demons. For some of the participants in a new trial, the results have been astounding This new therapy demanded that voices were listened to closely, and … Read More
October 30, 2024
(Nature) – Charting the evolution of cancer at single-cell resolution could open up avenues for early diagnosis and treatment. Detailed maps that pinpoint the positions of cells in tumours and probe the tumours’ biology are offering insights into the development … Read More
October 29, 2024
(Wall Street Journal) – A radical experiment uses focused ultrasound waves to reset cells inside the brain’s reward center to combat cravings In Appalachia, in the heart of one of the earliest and deadliest waves of the opioid crisis, doctors … Read More
