June 6, 2013
Judge moves Sarah Murnaghan onto adult lung list
A US federal judge has allowed a severely-ill 10-year-old girl a prime spot on the list to receive an adult lung transplant, despite her young age. (BBC)
Monthly Archives: June 2013
June 6, 2013
NY court OKs over-the-counter sales of some next-day contraception while appeal proceeds
The brief order issued by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan permitted two-pill versions of emergency contraception to immediately be sold without restrictions, but the court refused to allow unrestricted sales of Plan B One-Step until it … Read More
June 6, 2013
4 Md. abortion clinics shut down following patient death, other problems; 3 doctors suspended
Four affiliated abortion clinics in Maryland have been shut down and three doctors have had their licenses suspended after a patient died at one clinic and regulators found lax procedures at all four, according to documents filed online by two … Read More
June 6, 2013
Moral authority
All scientists must contend with regulation and bureaucracy, despite their frequent complaints that such processes stifle and slow their work. US researchers in gene therapy perhaps feel the pressure of red tape more than most. Is now the right time … Read More
June 5, 2013
Research uncovers formula for enhancing informed consent
Combining several comprehension-aiding techniques yields documents that are vastly superior to traditional forms, but legal fears still impede changes that could improve patient understanding. (American Medical News)
June 5, 2013
Viewpoints: Supreme Court and DNA samples
Supreme Court justices stated that collecting DNA should be a routine procedure for police. In their ruling on the case Maryland v King, the justices said officials at all levels of government did not need a warrant to take DNA … Read More
June 5, 2013
Finding the players in the symphony of IQ genes
Studies of families show intelligence is 40 to 50 per cent inherited, and otherwise depends on environment. Since mass-analysis of DNA variations became possible, a number of studies have sought the genes involved in this inheritance, and some papers have … Read More
June 5, 2013
Geneticists push for global data-sharing
Now, a consortium of 69 institutions in 13 countries hopes to address the problem by creating an organization to enable the free flow of information in genomic medicine. On 5 June, the consortium, which is calling itself the ‘global alliance’, announced that … Read More
June 5, 2013
Machine learning and risk prediction in the ICU
A Boston startup wants to bring smart analytics to critical care in order to help doctors spot and treat at-risk patients. (MIT Technology Review)
June 5, 2013
Scientists find potential new clues for identifying breast cancer risk
New research provides critical insights into how normal breast precursor cells may be genetically vulnerable to develop into cancer. The research is published June 4th in the inaugural issue of Stem Cell Reports, an open-access journal from the International Society … Read More
June 5, 2013
Research and market: Cell therapy – Technologies, markets and companies – updated 2013-2022 global report
This report describes and evaluates cell therapy technologies and methods, which have already started to play an important role in the practice of medicine. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is replacing the old fashioned bone marrow transplants. Role of cells in … Read More
June 5, 2013
Fertility doctors get new guidelines on maximum number of embryos to transfer
No more than a single embryo should be transferred at a time in most younger women undergoing assisted-baby making, according to new guidelines for the nation’s for-profit fertility industry aimed at minimizing multiple births. But in a recommendation that has … Read More
June 5, 2013
Glowing plants spark debate
The US government has no problem with this prospect, yet some experts and industry watchers are jittery. They fear that distributing the plants could set a precedent for unsupervised releases of synthetic organisms, and might foster a negative public perception … Read More
June 5, 2013
Catholic Church fined for sacking unmarried teacher for having IVF baby
The Catholic Church in America has been fined for dismissing a pregnant unmarried teacher who had used IVF. The case is seen as a barometer on the degree to which religious organisations in the United States can regulate employees’ lives. … Read More
June 5, 2013
More than 65% of family caregivers support the legalization of physician-assisted suicide
AgingCare.com survey data reveals that the majority of family caregivers support their elderly loved one’s ability to seek physician-assisted suicide as means to end terminal suffering. (Sacramento Bee) Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/06/04/5469241/more-than-65-of-family-caregivers.html#storylink=cpy
June 5, 2013
Biology’s drive toward engineering
Biology is on the verge of getting its versions of the lever, wheel and axle, pulley and other basic machines that enable engineers to build almost any mechanical device, a new analysis has concluded. The viewpoint article on availability of … Read More
June 5, 2013
Test to improve stem cell safety
CSIRO scientists have developed a test to identify unsafe stem cells. It is the first safety test specifically for human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) — as published today in the international journal Stem Cells. (Science Daily)
June 5, 2013
Biomarker could help scientists choose the right cell line when conducting stem cell experiments
According to researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital, stem cells that strongly express a gene called WNT3 are biased to develop into cells and tissues including pancreas, liver and bladder. This discovery suggests that other genes may serve as biomarkers for … Read More
June 5, 2013
Pluristem slumps as FDA suspends stem cell study
Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. said Tuesday the Food and Drug Administration suspended a clinical trial of one of its stem cell therapies, sending the company’s shares lower. (Businessweek)
June 4, 2013
Mind-controlled exoskeleton lets paralysed people walk
Melillo is one of the first people with lower limb paralysis to try out MindWalker – the world’s first exoskeleton that aims to enable paralysed and locked-in people to walk using only their mind. (New Scientist)
June 4, 2013
WHO warns of Syria disease threat
The World Health Organization is warning of an increased risk of disease epidemics in Syria and neighbouring countries as summer approaches. (BBC)
June 4, 2013
US scientists chafe at restrictions on new stem-cell lines
The announcement last month of a long-awaited breakthrough in stem-cell research — the creation of stem-cell lines from a cloned human embryo — has revived interest in using embryonic stem cells to treat disease. But US regulations mean that many … Read More
June 4, 2013
More doctors broach delicate topic of women’s age and fertility rate
It’s a touchy topic: broaching the issue of having children. But OB-GYNs say they are increasingly making it as routine as asking about contraception during annual visits. They are educating patients about fertility rates, which gradually begin to decline around … Read More
June 4, 2013
How to make a digital human brain
Futurists warn of a technological singularity on the not-too-distant horizon when artificial intelligence will equal and eventually surpass human intelligence. But before engineers can make a machine that truly mimics a human mind, scientists still have a long way to … Read More
June 4, 2013
Doctor’s advice for cancer patients: Not only medical aspects influence treatment recommendations
What treatment a doctor recommends for advanced cancer not only depends on medical aspects. His relationship to the individual patients and his own view of their life situation at their age play a role. (Medical Xpress)
