April 14, 2011
Three groups conspired to fix prices for human egg donors and “reap anti-competitive profits for themselves,” a donor says in a federal antitrust class action. The woman says that though egg donation is “far more painful and risky” than sperm … Read More
April 14, 2011
Doctors aim to get organs into the recipient as soon as possible. But a new study finds that treating organs on a perfusion machine for several hours before transplantation may increase success. Â (Los Angeles Times)
April 14, 2011
Under a South Korean law that went into effect last July, South Korean prosecutors have issued a controversial summons to collect DNA samples from six labor unionists found guilty of violence during strikes. The law established a national DNA database, which … Read More
April 14, 2011
Imagine you are a single mother suffering from depression, overwhelmed with caring for an autistic, nonverbal and developmentally disabled son. If he were diagnosed with cancer, what would you do? Â (Time Healthland)
April 14, 2011
The Oklahoma House approved a bill on Wednesday that prohibits health insurance companies from offering coverage of elective abortions in standard policies sold in the state. Â (Reuters)
April 14, 2011
Idaho’s governor said on Thursday he signed into law a measure banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, making Idaho the third state to enact such a late term abortion prohibition. Â (Reuters)
April 14, 2011
People who use in vitro fertilization to conceive children often have leftover embryos and must decide whether to store them, dispose of them or possibly donate them for research. A new process developed by researchers at the Stanford University School … Read More
April 14, 2011
A team of scientists at Penn State University, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, and other institutions have developed a method for recreating a schizophrenic patient’s own brain cells, which then can be studied safely and effectively in a Petri … Read More
April 14, 2011
Johns Hopkins scientists have developed a simplified, cheaper, all-purpose method they say can be used by scientists around the globe to more safely turn blood cells into heart cells. The method is virus-free and produces heart cells that beat with … Read More
April 14, 2011
Human pluripotent stem cells are expected to significantly improve medicine by helping researchers understand human development and disease, making drug development more efficient, and aiding in repair of degenerated tissues. Â (Science Progress)
April 14, 2011
Since the Institute of Medicine released its 2006 report that recommended loosening current restrictions on using prisoners as human research subjects, Biopolitical Times has paid attention to the shifting justifications used to make the widespread usage of prisoners in this manner – once common … Read More
April 13, 2011
A child aged under 15 has been declared brain-dead with family consent for the first time in Japan, with the child’s organs to be harvested for transplantation shortly, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said Tuesday.  (Japan Today)
April 13, 2011
Scott Carney’s forthcoming book, The Red Market: On the Trail of the World’s Organ Brokers, Bone Thieves, Blood Farmers, and Child Traffickers, is scheduled for release May 31st.  A reporter, Carney uses his investigative skills and considerable knowledge of India to … Read More
April 13, 2011
Today expectant parents concerned about the diseases that could afflict their unborn children don’t have a lot of options. Blood tests can determine whether parents carry mutations for such genetic diseases as cystic fibrosis and Tay-Sachs, but they can’t determine … Read More
April 13, 2011
Video – Dr. Karen Boyle discusses embryo splits in IVF procedures. Â (ABC News)
April 13, 2011
Many studies have looked at the financial impact on a health care organization that has data such as patients’ Social Security numbers and account information lost or stolen. But what is the effect on a patient who has sensitive health … Read More
April 13, 2011
Technology to be launched tomorrow will allow film viewers to control key plot developments using the power of emotion. The Myndplay system uses a headset to pick up the patterns of brain waves associated with different states of mind, and based … Read More
April 13, 2011
“Hospitals in North America and around the world are increasingly asking doctors to sign codes of conduct as a precondition of hospital privileges. Supporters of this trend say it will improve professionalism and reduce disruptive behaviour. Critics warn that it … Read More
April 13, 2011
The Virginia-based fertility clinic that holds an exclusive license to a sperm-sorting sex selection technique has announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will no longer allow its use for “family balancing” – that is, to bring “the number … Read More
April 12, 2011
The UK’s Human Genetics Commission has today published a report stating that there are no ethical barriers preventing the use of genetic testing in couples before they conceive. (Nursing Times)
April 12, 2011
While it seemed the rest of London was out soaking up the springtime sun this past Saturday, roughly 100 people opted instead to pass their time in a basement lecture theatre at Birkbeck College – discussing the possibilities of human … Read More
April 12, 2011
Guatemalans subjected to U.S. syphilis experiments in the 1940s are suing federal health officials to compensate them for health problems they have suffered. The lawsuit comes after revelations that U.S. scientists studying the effects of penicillin in the 1940s deliberately … Read More
April 12, 2011
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — More U.S. teenagers are using birth control pills, according to a new study by Thomson Reuters released on Thursday. Eighteen percent of teenage women ages 13 to 18 filled prescriptions for oral contraceptives in 2009, a proportion … Read More
April 12, 2011
“Babies, babies, babies.” That’s how Miranda and Josh Crawford now describe a typical day after their two sets of identical twins — quadruplets in all — joined their two-year-old sister in February. (ABC News)
April 12, 2011
The FDA has declined to expand the approved age range for the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil to 45, according to the product’s manufacturer. In the agency’s judgment, clinical trial data failed to show that Gardasil effectively prevented infections in … Read More
