March 30, 2007
L.A. Daily News columnist Bridget Johnson has written a splendid column pointing out some of the many flaws with legalizing assisted suicide. Here is a sampling: Invariably, when society decides that some life is less valuable, less worth caring for, … Read More
March 30, 2007
This New York Times story about the poor treatment received by the elderly at the hands of long term health care insurers is important. From the story: Tens of thousands of elderly Americans have received life-prolonging care as a result … Read More
March 30, 2007
The European Commission agreed yesterday on funding for the creation of a European registry for human embryonic stem cell lines, said the commission. (English.eastday.com)
March 30, 2007
Growing numbers of Muslims in the West are seeking guidance on ethical issues arising from advances in medical science and the demands by hospitals for advance information on treatment, organ donation and therapy in the case of incapacity, according to … Read More
March 30, 2007
State Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, and state Rep. Frank Boyle, D-Superior, want to give Wisconsin’s terminally ill patients the right to “die with dignity” in a proposed bill. The two legislators are circulating a bill that would allow a doctor … Read More
March 30, 2007
A growing number of genetic tests can be performed during in vitro fertilization, before pregnancy even begins. Is that a good thing? (Technology Review)
March 30, 2007
Imagine building materials that are as strong as steel at a fraction of the weight, and inexpensive solar cells that can be printed onto almost any surface. Or consider smart medical treatments that target cancerous tumors with minimal side effects, … Read More
March 30, 2007
Anna Behrens is 24 years old. Tall and slim, she is working toward her Ph.D. in art history at an Ivy League school. During her undergraduate years, Anna accumulated $27,000 in credit-card debt. In the fall of 2005, frustrated by … Read More
March 29, 2007
Ian Wilmut, who supervised the team that cloned Dolly the sheep, is sad that human cloning hasn’t worked so far. But something else he said was unexpected and is interesting news: He believes that cell reprogramming–that is, reverting a cell … Read More
March 29, 2007
University of Connecticut researcher Xiangzhong “Jerry” Yang has continued to enlist famous backers to join his proposed international stem cell consortium to clone a human embryo and study the mysteries of the embryonic stem cells they produce. (Hartford Courant)
March 29, 2007
Given the huge shortage of donor organs, researchers have been trying to find ways to transplant animal organs across different species (known as “xenotransplantation”), with the eventual aim of transplanting animal organs into humans. The major stumbling block, says Dr … Read More
March 29, 2007
Australia’s new therapeutic cloning laws will help stem the brain drain of top scientists heading overseas, one of the nation’s top legal ethicists says. (ninemsn)
March 29, 2007
The latest curative leap to heal professional athletes and weekend warriors alike may sound like science fiction, but it could transform sports medicine. Some doctors and researchers say that in a few years the use of primitive stem cells from … Read More
March 29, 2007
A decade ago, Ian Wilmut and a team of researchers in Scotland stunned the world when they announced they had cloned “Dolly” from the udder of a 6-year-old sheep, proving it was possible to make even old cells young again. … Read More
March 29, 2007
The parents of a severely disabled 9-year-old girl subjected her to a series of nonessential surgeries. Though their decision was made out of love, this case raises too many troubling questions about medical ethics and public policy to withhold judgment. … Read More
March 29, 2007
Patients are crying out for vital organs that hospitals can’t deliver. Now the black market in body parts is booming – and pushing medical ethics to the limit. (TimesOnline)
March 28, 2007
News of the new online risk-focused journal launched by Rice University’s NSF-funded Center on Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology and associated International Council on Nanotechnology (CBEN and ICON to their friends) is welcome, though I am puzzled why it should be … Read More
March 28, 2007
The Scientist is having an on-line discussion about human cloning. Below are the questions The Scientist poses: Is the nuclear transfer challenge one of understanding or technique? It would seem that the scientific community presumes successful stem cell cloning is … Read More
March 28, 2007
More research is needed on the potential health and environmental hazards of nanotechnology to ensure public confidence in the fast-growing industry, British experts said on Wednesday. (ABC News)
March 28, 2007
There’s a lovely jar of night cream that’s been sitting on my dresser for a month. According to the salesperson who spent a half-hour on the phone with me extolling its virtues, the cream will dig up the gunk that’s … Read More
March 28, 2007
Osiris Therapeutics Inc.’s easy-to- administer stem cell treatment helped patients recover after a heart attack and eased their symptoms in a study. (Bloomberg)
March 28, 2007
The PBS TV show, Quest: Nanotechnology Takes Off,” covering “potential cures for cancer, clothes that don’t stain, and solar panels as thick as a sheet of paper.” (KurzweilAI.net)
March 28, 2007
The federal government for the first time has set standards to protect living organ donors through independent donor advocates and the mandatory disclosure of surgery risks. (STLtoday)
March 28, 2007
A magazine investigation has raised new doubts about pioneering adult stem cell studies, leaving questions about the much-touted medical potential of these cells. (USA Today)
March 28, 2007
THERE’S nothing wrong with drug makers publicizing their products, but the lure of lucrative government contracts can prompt them to play fast and loose. In lobbying state lawmakers to make its latest vaccine mandatory, Merck has greatly exaggerated both the … Read More
