November 7, 2011
‘Cyborg’ yeast genes run by computer
Scientists have succeeded in forming a “feedback loop” between a computer and a common yeast to precisely control the switching on and off of specific genes. (BBC News)
Monthly Archives: November 2011
November 7, 2011
Woman who became mother at 57 admits she was too old for IVF
Susan Tollefsen became a mother after receiving IVF treatment at 57 from a Russian clinic in 2008, where she conceived daughter Freya. (Telegraph)
November 4, 2011
Clampdown on China’s black market for organs
THREE DOCTORS have been arrested for illegally harvesting organs at a private clinic in the northern Chinese province of Hebei, as part of an ongoing campaign in China against illegal organ transplants. (Irish Times)
November 4, 2011
Panel Calls for Google Maps of Human Disease
An expert panel today called for creating a massive data network that would combine cutting-edge genomic and molecular data on patients’ diseases with their routine medical records. Such a database would be a boon for research and help move medical … Read More
November 4, 2011
With Only Trace Evidence to Go On, Experts Discuss Drugs in the Water
Pharmaceuticals in drinking water: it’s a made-for-TV topic that can stir up public outcry faster than you can say “barely detectable residues.” (Science Insider)
November 4, 2011
The Free Speech Pill
Drug makers are mounting a legal campaign to overturn longstanding U.S. regulations prohibiting them from pitching medicines for uses not listed on the bottle. (Wall Street Journal)
November 4, 2011
F.D.A. Officials, Hoping to Stave Off Critics, Point to Increased Drug Approvals
Federal drug officials on Thursday claimed credit for an increase in the approval of new drugs and argued that the results demonstrated the need for legislation to continue financing the current drug approval system. (NY Times)
November 4, 2011
China seizes 65M counterfeit pills, some harmful
Police in China have seized more than 65 million fake pills and arrested 114 suspects during a four-month investigation into counterfeit drugs. (AP)
November 3, 2011
The Next Death-With-Dignity Battleground
Most fall weekends, you can find Randee Laikind buttonholing people at the Shelburne Falls Market in western Massachusetts, or wielding her clipboard on the town common in nearby Greenfield or Amherst. (New York Times)
November 3, 2011
Health Guideline Panels Struggle with Conflicts of Interest
When a federal panel recently recommended against prostate cancer screening for most men, it tried to steer clear of any suggestions of commercial bias. (New York Times)
November 3, 2011
Signs of ageing halted in the lab
The onset of wrinkles, muscle wasting and cataracts has been delayed and even eliminated in mice, say researchers in the US. (BBC News)
November 3, 2011
Dutch Jews and Muslims fight for circumcision right
Religious groups in the Netherlands have opposed a call from the Royal Dutch Medical Association (RDMA) for male circumcision to be discouraged. (BBC News)
November 3, 2011
Major Push for Quicker Approval of Artificial Pancreas
Jeffrey Brewer, the president and CEO of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), has a very personal reason for wanting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to expedite their review of the artificial pancreas. (ABC News)
November 2, 2011
New Issue of Australasian Journal on Ageing is Now Available
Australasian Journal on Ageing (Volume 30, October 2011) is now available by subscription only. Articles include: “Ageing research directions for Australia” by John McCallum, 1–3. “Ageing well: Improving the Management of Patients with Multiple Chronic Health Problems” by Andrew L … Read More
November 2, 2011
Age No Longer Should Be A Barrier To Stem Cell Transplantation For Older Patients With Blood Cancers
Age alone no longer should be considered a defining factor when determining whether an older patient with blood cancer is a candidate for stem cell transplantation. (Medical News Today)
November 2, 2011
CDC: Fatal overdoses from painkillers triple in decade; 1 in 20 Americans report abuse
The number of overdose deaths from powerful painkillers more than tripled over a decade, the government reported Tuesday — a trend that a U.S. health official called an epidemic, but one that can be stopped. (Washington Post)
November 2, 2011
Mississippi to vote on ‘personhood’
“When do you believe life begins?” Johnny DuPree, Democratic candidate for governor of Mississippi, asked during a public debate on 14Â October. (Nature News)
November 2, 2011
Organ Transplant Recipients at Greater Risk for a Variety of Cancers
Three. That’s the number of kidney transplants Irene Schneider has received so far in her lifetime. Each new kidney has allowed her to skirt a potential lifetime of dialysis, or even death. (ABC News)
November 2, 2011
‘Dead-donor’ rule dangerously misleading, experts say
Doctors should abandon the “dangerously misleading†policy of having to declare donors dead before their organs can be extracted for transplant, and adopt a more honest policy that acknowledges some patients may still be technically alive, Canadian and Spanish experts … Read More
November 1, 2011
Event: Call for Papers – The Open General & Internal Medicine Journal
This is a Call for Papers to submit research articles, reviews and letters to The Open General & Internal Medicine Journal. This is an Open Access online journal which publishes research articles, reviews and letters in all areas of general … Read More
November 1, 2011
New Issue of Stem Cells is Now Available
Stem Cells (Volume 29, Issue 11, November 2011) is now available by subscription only. Articles include: “Concise Review: Deciphering the Mechanism behind Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Generation” by Shi-Lung Lin, 1645-1649. “TAp63 Is Important for Cardiac Differentiation of Embryonic Stem … Read More
November 1, 2011
Medical liability: Cutting costs from the bench
After years of presiding over thousands of civil claims in one of the busiest courts in the country, New York Judge Douglas E. McKeon was bothered by how medical liability cases were being treated in the system. (American Medical News)
November 1, 2011
Hidden Drivers of Childhood Obesity Operate Behind the Scenes
Anxiety around children’s eating habits often peaks during sweets-laden holidays like Halloween, but the factors that contribute to excess weight in kids extend well beyond special occasions. (Scientific American)
November 1, 2011
In giving life, women face deadly risks
In Niger, a woman gives birth to an average of nearly eight children. Countries like Uganda, Mali and Somalia are close behind, with an average of six to seven children per woman. (CNN)
November 1, 2011
Fewer U.S. babies being born early, report says
When it comes to babies being carried to full term, the United States is improving, according to the most recent March of Dimes report card. (CNN)
