March 5, 2012
Just how easy is it to make a deadly virus? This disturbing question has been on the minds of many scientists recently, thanks to a pair of controversial experiments in which the H5N1 bird flu virus was transformed into mutant … Read More
March 5, 2012
At 3:30 a.m., Stefany Shaheen awoke to a feeling of uneasiness. Something was not quite right with her daughter, Elle. (CNN)
March 5, 2012
Here’s an added challenge if you’re struggling to pay a medical bill: Your credit can be wrecked if the doctor or hospital kicks your unpaid bill to a collection agency. (Chicago Tribune)
March 2, 2012
Six “mobile euthanasia units” will become available in the Netherlands, starting March 1, to zip around this tiny and remarkably liberal country to help Dutch citizens facing an “unbearable” and “hopeless” medical situation die in their homes. (Vancouver Sun)
March 2, 2012
Carmen Olalde really wanted children. She went through years of infertility treatment and IVF, then a difficult pregnancy, to have her twins. And as her twins turned four, she realized that two kids were enough. (MSNBC)
March 2, 2012
The article, published in the Journal of Medical Ethics, says newborn babies are not “actual persons†and do not have a “moral right to lifeâ€. The academics also argue that parents should be able to have their baby killed if … Read More
March 2, 2012
Julie Barth’s prayers were answered when a doctor in Crystal Lake, Ill., told her in vitro fertilization might get her pregnant. But he didn’t stop there, referring her to a “fertility finance” company that lent her $5,000 at an interest … Read More
March 2, 2012
At a time many states are making it harder for women to get abortions, Washington state appears headed in the opposite direction. (OregonLive)
March 2, 2012
In a small clean room tucked into the back of San Diego–based startup Organovo, Chirag Khatiwala is building a thin layer of human skeletal muscle. He inserts a cartridge of specially prepared muscle cells into a 3-D printer, which then … Read More
March 2, 2012
When police officers, scientists and doctors launched an investigation into the scourge of counterfeit medicines in South East Asia, they were shocked to find that nearly half of the anti-malarials that they seized were fakes. Even more alarming was the … Read More
March 2, 2012
Treatment which aims to correct a rare inherited genetic defect has helped a patient at risk from serious infection, a leading hospital is reporting. (BBC News)
March 1, 2012
A federal judge on Wednesday declared unconstitutional a Food and Drug Administration requirement that tobacco companies prominently display graphic warning labels on cigarette packages. (NY Times)
March 1, 2012
Drug regulators need more authority to compel pharmaceutical companies to conduct timely, rigorous tests of medications in children, says a committee that examined US laws designed to boost the safety and efficacy of childhood treatments. (Nature News)
March 1, 2012
With Texas pouring millions of dollars into developing adult stem-cell treatments, doctors there are already injecting paying customers with unproven preparations, supplied by an ambitious new company. (Nature News)
March 1, 2012
On 28 February, bioethicist Glenn McGee resigned his position as president of ethics and strategic initiatives at the stem-cell firm Celltex Therapeutics in Houston, Texas. It was the end of a turbulent three months for the founder and long-time editor … Read More
March 1, 2012
From technologies which allow the brain to directly control computers to using electricity to enhance brain function, the way technology can “intervene” in the brain is being reviewed. (BBC News)
March 1, 2012
The moment 18-year-old Army Pvt. Tim Josephs arrived at Edgewood Arsenal in 1968, he knew there was something different about the place. (CNN)
March 1, 2012
March 30-31, 2012 2012 Bioethics Conference at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas The conference opens with a reception and exhibition of the 11 winning pieces from the 2011 UNESCO Global Art Competition on Human Vulnerability followed by a … Read More
March 1, 2012
The New England Journal of Medicine (Volume 366, Issue 7, February 16, 2012) is now available on-line and by subscription only. Articles include: “What We Talk about When We Talk about Health Care Costs” by P.J. Neumann, available on-line.
