October 6, 2009
One of the oldest names in computing is joining the race to sequence the genome for $1,000. On Tuesday, I.B.M. plans to give technical details of its effort to reach and surpass that goal, ultimately bringing the cost to as … Read More
October 6, 2009
With recent advances in biochemistry, researchers can control the circuitry in a developing cell, thereby influencing cells to develop into specific phenotypes. Taking a step forward in this area, researchers have recently demonstrated a new technique to control gene expression … Read More
October 6, 2009
Nanoparticles may prove effective tools for improving stem cells therapy, new research suggests. Chemical engineers have successfully used nanoparticles to enhance stem cells’ ability to stimulate regeneration of damaged vascular tissue and reduce muscle degeneration in mice, they report in … Read More
October 6, 2009
It’s against the law in most countries, including the United States, to buy or sell human organs for transplant. But that doesn’t mean organ sales don’t happen, as evidenced by the recent story of organ-brokering uncovered as part of a … Read More
October 6, 2009
Genetics, Jewish Diseases and Personalized Medicine November 2-3, 2009 Kansas City Public Library 14 W 10 Street Kansas City, MO 64105 Advances in genetics change the way we think about health, disease, and personal identity. This free two day conference … Read More
October 6, 2009
The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics (Volume 37, Issue s2, Fall 2009) is now available by subscription only. Articles Include: “Legal Solutions in Health Reform” by Timothy M. Westmoreland, 5-6. “Executive Authority to Reform Health: Options and Limitations” by Madhu Chugh, … Read More
October 5, 2009
It’s against the law in most countries, including the United States, to buy or sell human organs for transplant. But that doesn’t mean organ sales don’t happen, as evidenced by the recent story of organ-brokering uncovered as part of a … Read More
October 5, 2009
University of Wisconsin officials have watered down proposed conflict of interest rules, allowing orthopedic surgeons and other doctors who implant devices to earn large sums of money making presentations for medical device companies. (JSOnline/a>)
October 5, 2009
The anticipated onset of a second wave of the H1N1 influenza pandemic could present a host of thorny medical ethics issues best considered well in advance, according to the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics, which today released nine … Read More
October 5, 2009
Students could one day face dope tests to prove they have not boosted their academic performance with so called “smart drugs”, a psychologist suggests. (BBC)
October 5, 2009
All research involving the controversial creation of animal-human “hybrid” embryos has been refused funding in Britain and one of the three scientists licensed to carry out the work has left the UK for a job in Australia. (The Independent)
October 5, 2009
“Gaps (and Gasps!) in Medical-Ethical Reasoning: From Ethical Theory to Medical Practice” Heidi Malm, Ph.D. Professor of Philosophy and Bioethics Loyola University Chicago Thursday, October 29, 2009 2:30 – 4:00 pm Eastern Part of the MEDICINE: MIND THE GAP NIH … Read More
October 2, 2009
A n oxymoron is a phrase that combines two contradictory words, such as “jumbo shrimp” and “deafening silence.” Appropriately, the word oxymoron is itself an oxymoron, from the Greek oxymõros, which means “pointedly foolish,” but the roots of the word … Read More
October 2, 2009
On 30 September, during a visit to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) campus in Bethesda, Maryland, President Barack Obama announced $5 billion in stimulus grants from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (see ‘Obama visits Bethesda for stimulus … Read More
October 2, 2009
Writing From Geneva – In 1994, Switzerland resolved a quandary that had haunted it for nearly a century: It guaranteed universal health insurance coverage and thus enabled all its residents to benefit from high-quality medical care. The Swiss reforms featured … Read More
October 2, 2009
In a warehouse building in Boston, wedged between a cruise-ship drydock and Au Bon Pain’s corporate headquarters, sits Ginkgo BioWorks, a new synthetic-biology startup that aims to make biological engineering easier than baking bread. Founded by five MIT scientists, the … Read More
October 2, 2009
The legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada could reduce the level of care available to those with terminal illnesses, two Ottawa doctors warn. (CBC News)
October 2, 2009
Human umbilical cord blood cells may be far more versatile than previous research has indicated. Two independent studies, published by Cell Press in the October 2nd issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, report that they have successfully reprogrammed human … Read More
October 2, 2009
JAMA (Volume 302, Number 12, September 23/30, 2009) is now available by subscription only. Articles Include: “Association of an Educational Program in Mindful Communication With Burnout, Empathy, and Attitudes Among Primary Care Physicians” by Michael S. Krasner, Ronald M. Epstein, Howard … Read More
October 2, 2009
American Journal of Transplantation (Volume 9, Issue 10, October 2009) is now available by subscription only. Articles Include: “Is Rapid Organ Recovery a Good Idea? An Exploratory Study of the Public’s Knowledge and Attitudes” by J. M. DuBois, A. D. Waterman, … Read More
October 1, 2009
A report by a leading medical ethics group has criticised the NHS for providing insufficient support to patients in the early stages of dementia. The Nuffield Council on Bioethics blasted the “morally wrong” practice, saying there was “ample evidence” that … Read More
October 1, 2009
To a busy emergency physician, a split lip or a case of poisoning is just one of those things they deal with. But to a computer mining the patient’s medical history, it could be the last diagnosis needed to decipher … Read More
October 1, 2009
With the gap between the number of transplantable organs and the number of people needing transplants widening, many have argued for moving from an opt-in to an opt-out system of deceased organ donation. In the first system, individuals must register … Read More
