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
October 28, 2024
(Wired) – Science Corporation’s retinal implant allowed some people who lost their central vision to read, play cards, and recognize faces. For years, they had been losing their central vision—what allows people to see letters, faces, and details clearly. The … Read More
October 23, 2024
(STAT News) – New research calls into question the high-profile conclusion of the first major study to show that the race of physicians influences health outcomes. In August of 2020, a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academies … Read More
October 23, 2024
(New York Times) – The leader of the long-running study said that the drugs did not improve mental health in children with gender distress and that the finding might be weaponized by opponents of the care. In the nine years … Read More
October 21, 2024
(MedPage Today) – World Medical Association releases “Declaration of Helsinki” principles for medical research The World Medical Association (WMA) voted unanimously today to approve revised ethical principles for human participants in medical research. (Read More)
October 21, 2024
Research Ethics (vol. 20, no. 4, 2024) is available online by subscription only. Articles include:
October 17, 2024
(Bloomberg) – Max Hodak’s company, Science, is selling devices and software that make it easier for researchers to probe the mind. The brain implant industry has boomed over the past decade as companies such as Neuralink, Precision Neuroscience and Synchron … Read More
October 17, 2024
(MIT Technology Review) – Researchers have created a robotic system that can follow verbal cues and perform experiments. Lab scientists spend much of their time doing laborious and repetitive tasks, be it pipetting liquid samples or running the same analyses … Read More
October 16, 2024
(Nature) – Although some countries have made marked strides in reporting trial results, others still face a long road ahead. After nearly a decade of effort, the latest raw data suggest that reporting rates are improving. The website EU Trials … Read More
October 16, 2024
(Axios) – GlaxoSmithKline is suing Moderna for allegedly using technology patented by GSK in its COVID-19 vaccine. Why it matters: It’s the latest in a series of legal fights over who owns the intellectual property behind mRNA technology and whether … Read More
October 14, 2024
(MIT Technology Review) – Deleting your data from 23andMe is permanent and cannot be reversed. But some of that data will be retained to comply with the company’s legal obligations, according to its privacy statement. That means 23andMe and its … Read More
October 14, 2024
BMC Medical Ethics has new articles available online. Articles include:
October 9, 2024
(Nature) – This year’s prize celebrates computational tools that have transformed biology and have the potential to revolutionize drug discovery. For the first time — and probably not the last — a scientific breakthrough enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) has … Read More
