January 28, 2008
India is searching for a monster who convinced the destitute to sell their kidneys at bargain basement prices and sold them for a huge profit. But the real empowerers of this atrocity are the foreigners who wanted new kidneys and … Read More
January 28, 2008
I have written several posts about the need to develop uniform standards of declaring death by neurological criteria–popularly known as “brain death.” Now, there’s some more information out about that problem. From the story: Guidelines for determining brain death differ … Read More
January 28, 2008
The most robust opponents of assisted suicide–and the most effective in my view–are disability rights advocates. They understand well that legalizing assisted suicide is a gun aimed at their hearts. An opinion column by one Ian Mulgrew of the Vancouver … Read More
January 28, 2008
The 2008 International Bioethics Conference, “America’s Broken Healthcare System” is coming up on February 21-22, 2008 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa in Honolulu, Hawaii. Hawaii Medical Association (HMA) members have a discounted rate of $300 for … Read More
January 28, 2008
Specifically, the accuracy of some tests now on the market is under question, as is their usefulness when the results are supplied direct to consumers, rather than with professional medical advice. (Cyprus Mail)
January 28, 2008
The suit argues that the next of kin, not the state, should make decisions on how to dispose of organs no longer needed for testing, and that denial of such a right violates the Constitution’s promise of due process. The … Read More
January 28, 2008
A new kind of gene therapy could bring relief to patients suffering from chronic pain while bypassing many of the debilitating side effects associated with traditional painkillers. (Technology Review)
January 28, 2008
The swiftly changing scientific landscape has seen the rise and fall of many favoured stem cell types and technologies. Some of what is de rigueur today will be dé classé tomorrow. Inducing pluripotency currently requires randomly inserting genes for transcription … Read More
January 28, 2008
From what is now considered medical waste might be fashioned bio-treasure: stem cells able to form into any of the body’s 220 cell types, including blood, nerves, bone, and skin tissue, new research suggests. (The Boston Globe)
January 28, 2008
Euthanasia advocate Dr Philip Nitschke said he had been warned by Australian authorities not to screen the films, The Single Shot and Doing it with Betty, but believed he could show them in New Zealand. Nitschke wants to play the … Read More
January 28, 2008
Thousands of people, healthy and sick, participate each year in clinical studies. The experience can provide medical, financial and emotional benefits, but there are also potential risks. (Wall Street Journal)
January 27, 2008
This is the second posting on the bioarts, a relatively new field in which artists are using living tissue and organisms to create their works. I offered a glimpse into the world of bioart in my previous article, and will … Read More
January 25, 2008
People don’t think twice about wearing a Bluetooth headset to have conversations on their cell phones. Well, one day it might not be unusual to wear a contact lens that projects the phone’s display directly onto the eye. Researchers at … Read More
January 25, 2008
The Karolinska Institute here is famed for choosing the winners of the Nobel Prize in Medicine each year, and as one of the world’s most prestigious medical schools it rejects many students with the highest grades. (New York Times)
January 25, 2008
Dying patients need to be regularly monitored for pain, shortness of breath, and depression, say new American College of Physicians (ACP) guidelines to improve end-of-life care. (U.S. News & World Report)
January 25, 2008
A team of 17 researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) has created the largest man-made DNA structure by synthesizing and assembling the 582,970 base pair genome of a bacterium, Mycoplasma genitalium JCVI-1.0. This work, published online today in … Read More
January 25, 2008
Scientists today announced that they have found pancreatic stem cells in mice. That discovery may lead to stem cell treatments for diabetes patients, if pancreatic stem cells can be found in people. (WebMD)
January 25, 2008
Former Senator John Edwards does not discount the possibility that his health care proposal, which would allow Americans to buy new government insurance packages modeled on Medicare, could evolve into a federalized system like those in Canada and many European … Read More
January 25, 2008
Need a hip replacement? Get on a plane to Bangkok. What about a nip and tuck? There are some good deals right now in Singapore. No more hospital waiting lists, overworked nursing staff and indigestible food. The only waiting you’ll … Read More
January 25, 2008
You are invited to attend Focus on the Family’s upcoming medical professionals conference, Balancing Faith, Family and Practice, on Apr. 10-12, 2008. A number of talented individuals have agreed to serve as presenters for this three-day conference, and we’ve prepared … Read More
January 24, 2008
Anyone who believes that Bush funding embryonic stem cell research with leftover IVF embryos would satisfy “the scientists” just aren’t paying attention to the constant whining by Brave New Britain’s scientists who have what amounts to a virtual blank check. … Read More
January 24, 2008
A wonderful breakthrough in transplant medicine is also another testimony to the apparent healing power of adult stem cells. Bone marrow transplanted from the organ donor to the organ recipient at the time of the transplant apparently can eventually result … Read More
January 24, 2008
Democrats cited the nation’s economic problems as a reason to expand a popular health insurance program for children on Wednesday, but their effort failed as the House sustained President Bush’s veto of a bill to provide coverage to nearly four … Read More
January 24, 2008
In what’s being called a major advance in organ transplants, doctors say they have developed a technique that could free many patients from having to take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of their lives. (Wired)
January 24, 2008
Can a patient who agrees to participate in a safety study of a gene therapy protocol give truly informed consent and understand the risks involved when the consent forms are highly technical and the physician or institution seeking their consent … Read More
