July 21, 2010
A technique that combines nanotechnology with adult stem cells appears to destroy atherosclerotic plaque and rejuvenate the arteries, according to a study reported at the American Heart Association’s Basic Cardiovascular Sciences 2010 Scientific Sessions – Technological and Conceptual Advances in … Read More
July 21, 2010
A Melbourne couple is suing the Royal Women’s Hospital for damages because doctors failed to diagnose their unborn daughter with Down Syndrome, denying them the choice to have an abortion. (ABC News)
July 21, 2010
A man with “locked-in syndrome” has begun legal action, asking the director of public prosecutions to clarify the law on so-called mercy killing. (BBC News)
July 20, 2010
U.S. researchers have developed a formula that can predict whether fertility treatment will succeed more accurately than using age alone, and used it to develop a commercial test. (Reuters)
July 20, 2010
Some doctors are taking an unusual new approach to communicate better with patients—they are letting them read the notes that physicians normally share only with each other. (Wall Street Journal)
July 20, 2010
With more than two billion people online across the globe, including 80% of the US population, most of us are surfing, emailing or Skyping at all hours of the day. But does using the internet fundamentally change the way we … Read More
July 20, 2010
More than half of clinical trial subjects and sites for drugs and biologics were located outside the United States in fiscal 2008, a new study said. And 80% of the drug and biologic marketing applications that the Food and Drug … Read More
July 20, 2010
Authors such as Francis Fukuyama, the President’s Council on Bioethics, and George Annas have argued that biotechnological interventions that aim to promote genetic enhancement pose a threat to human nature. This paper clarifies what conclusions these critics seek to establish, … Read More
July 19, 2010
Potent stem cells derived from reprogramming skin or other adult body tissues may have limits on their usefulness as an alternative to cells from human embryos, researchers said. (BusinessWeek)
July 19, 2010
Kalkwarf is one of many children of the 5.3 million people living with Alzheimer’s in the United States who face the terrifying possibility of inheriting a predisposition to the disease. Now that there are tests in the works for early … Read More
July 19, 2010
A federal advisory committee voted narrowly against endorsing a drug vying to become the first new prescription medicine for obesity in more than a decade, signaling heightened concerns for possible health risks associated with a new generation of diet pills. … Read More
July 19, 2010
What if I were grown only so that my organs could be harvested, and I had to care for others whose organs are being taken, too, while I wait for my own death? What if doctors cut off a piece … Read More
July 19, 2010
One woman panicked when the genetic test she had ordered over the Internet concluded that her son was carrying a life-threatening disorder and, even more disturbing, that he was not — genetically — her son. Another, who always thought she … Read More
July 19, 2010
Question of whether eggs should be harvested from woman on life support plunges specialists into tough terrain. (The Boston Globe)
July 17, 2010
What do we, as a society, owe to the resulting children, especially when we are complicit in their coming into being, by approving and funding the technologies used to create them? They are the people most profoundly and directly affected. … Read More
July 15, 2010
The UK has one of the best systems for end of life care, a global study says. The analysis by the Economist Intelligence Unit looked at access to services, quality of care and public awareness in 40 countries. It found … Read More
July 15, 2010
Pro-life groups and other critics who are worried about the specter of health-care rationing attacked the recess appointment of Dr. Donald Berwick, a Harvard professor and pediatrician who was sworn in this week as the head of the Centers for … Read More
July 15, 2010
Two non-governmental organisations asked the government to prioritise the protection of people’s health and the prevention of diseases that lead to organ failure instead of promoting the Philippines as an area for organ transplant. (Gulf News)
July 15, 2010
Nanotechnology involves the ability to control matter at the scale of a nanometer—one billionth of a meter. The world market for products that contain nanomaterials is expected to reach $2.6 trillion by 2015. (The Atlantic)
July 15, 2010
What does the future look like? We essentially rely on science fiction thrillers to give us a taste of what lies ahead for humanity: Avatar; Iron Man; I, Robot; Surrogates; Star Wars; and I am Legend. But these films only … Read More
July 15, 2010
North Korea is failing to provide the most basic healthcare needs for its people, Amnesty International warns. An investigation by the human rights watchdog found barely functioning hospitals, poor hygiene and epidemics made worse by widespread malnutrition. (BBC News)
July 15, 2010
The afternoon sunlight streams through the large, picture window framing the San Francisco Peaks over Paul Keim’s shoulder. As director of NAU’s Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Keim sits in a seemingly peaceful and serene office, an odd juxtaposition … Read More
July 14, 2010
The federal government issued new rules Tuesday that will reward doctors and hospitals for the “meaningful use†of electronic health records, a top goal of President Obama. The rules significantly scale back proposed requirements that the health care industry had … Read More
July 14, 2010
After years of false starts, a new generation of DNA vaccines and medicines for HIV, influenza and other stubborn illnesses is now in clinical trials. (Scientific American)
July 14, 2010
Cancer screenings, including mammograms and colonoscopies, as well as obesity prevention services, immunizations, blood pressure screenings and tobacco cessation services are among those that will be available to consumers without a copayment or other direct costs for consumers on new … Read More
