March 17, 2017
(STAT News) – Americans who want to ensure they have a say in how they die should examine the lessons of Oregon, a new analysis suggests. Seriously ill people in that state are more likely to have their end-of-life wishes … Read More
March 17, 2017
(PhysOrg) – A discovery, several years in the making, by a University at Buffalo research team has proven that adult skin cells can be converted into neural crest cells (a type of stem cell) without any genetic modification, and that … Read More
March 17, 2017
(Bloomberg) – Changes to human research subject protection regulations known as the Common Rule shouldn’t be followed before they officially take effect next January, an HHS attorney said. “You cannot start applying it right now. The current rule applies until … Read More
March 17, 2017
(CNN) – The freezer sits behind a heavy door in the basement of an unassuming building on the campus of the University of Iceland. It feels much colder than it looks; inside, the temperature is minus-15 degrees Fahrenheit, but the air … Read More
March 17, 2017
(Wired) – Moon Ribas can feel earthquakes. Thanks to a small vibrating sensor embedded above her elbow, the Barcelona-based artist can immediately detect seismic activity – no matter where she is in the world. “I knew that, with technology, I … Read More
March 17, 2017
(NPR) – Scientists have long hoped that stem cells might have the power to treat diseases. But it’s always been clear that they could be dangerous too, especially if they’re not used carefully. Now a pair of papers published Wednesday … Read More
March 17, 2017
(New York Magazine) – While a woman can get basic infertility exams and ovulation-induction treatments from her regular gynecologist, she typically needs to see a specialist for more advanced fertility procedures, such as in vitro fertilization. However, a new study … Read More
March 17, 2017
(Quartz) – Right now it’s easiest to think about an artificial intelligence algorithm as a specific tool, like a hammer. A hammer is really good at hitting things, but when you need a saw to cut something in half, it’s … Read More
March 16, 2017
(Science) – To the naked eye, the little globs of cells are undifferentiated masses, smaller than sesame seeds. Put them under a microscope, though, and these lab-grown miniature organs show striking complexity: the tiny tubules of a kidney, the delicate … Read More
March 16, 2017
(The Washington Post) – But spurred by concerns about the “deny and defend” model — including its cost, lack of transparency and the perpetuation of errors — programs to circumvent litigation by offering prompt disclosure, apology and compensation for mistakes … Read More
March 16, 2017
(Scientific American) – Britain’s fertility regulator on Thursday granted doctors the first UK license to create babies using a three-parent IVF technique designed to prevent inherited genetic diseases. The license, granted to a team of doctors in Newcastle, northern England, … Read More
March 16, 2017
(The Economist) – WALK into the Shanghai laboratories of Chi-Med, a biotech firm, and you encounter the sort of shiny, cutting-edge facilities common in any major pharma company in America, Europe or Japan. Chi-Med has just had positive results in … Read More
March 16, 2017
(Reuters) – Developers of an experimental blood test for autism say it can detect the condition in more than 96 percent of cases and do so across a broad spectrum of patients, potentially allowing for earlier diagnosis, according to a … Read More
March 16, 2017
(Reuters) – A U.N. body on Thursday added two chemicals used to make the drug fentanyl, which killed music star Prince, to an international list of controlled substances, which the United States said would help fight a wave of deaths … Read More
March 16, 2017
(Kaiser Health News) – Marathon Pharmaceuticals’ controversial $89,000-a-year drug that has drawn outrage from patients and intense questioning from Congress is getting a new owner. After striking a deal Wednesday evening, PTC Therapeutics announced plans early Thursday to buy the … Read More
March 16, 2017
(Scientific American) – They can also give rise, however, to potentially dangerous mutations, possibly including ones that lead to cancerous tumors. Thus, iPS cells are a double-edged sword—their great promise is tempered by risk. Another problem is the high cost … Read More
March 16, 2017
(Discovery) – All of that is more true today than then. Yet, despite exponential advances in biotechnology in the intervening years, the issue generally has faded from public discussion and concern. That needs to change. The stakes for our children’s … Read More
March 16, 2017
(MIT Technology Review) – “This pig might save your bacon.” So say the company T-shirts printed up by biotechnology startup eGenesis, which today raised $38 million to fund a new effort to edit the DNA of pigs so they can … Read More
March 15, 2017
(NBC News) – Nearly a decade after the opioid onslaught, Everett is still struggling with the cost. And now the city wants the company that manufactured OxyContin to pay the bill. In January, the city filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against … Read More
March 15, 2017
(NPR) – With new cancer drugs commonly priced at $100,000 a year or more, Krahne’s story is becoming increasingly common. Hundreds of thousands of cancer patients are delaying care, cutting their pills in half or skipping drug treatment entirely, a … Read More
March 15, 2017
(CBC) – A total of 461 patients were granted doctor-assisted death during the first year of Quebec’s medical aid in dying law, according to data obtained by CBC’s French-language service, Radio-Canada. The number of requests increased significantly in the second half of 2016. From December 2015 … Read More
March 15, 2017
(Wired) – Technically it ain’t brain surgery, but let’s just say you wouldn’t want to do a cochlear implant while sleepy or distracted. So it’s a good thing this surgery robot can’t be either of those things. It drills into … Read More
March 15, 2017
(New Scientist) – The team managed to correct mutations in three out of six embryos, suggesting CRISPR repair is more efficient in viable embryos. “It does look more promising than previous papers,” says Fredrik Lanner of the Karolinska Institute in … Read More
March 15, 2017
(New Scientist) – Now, in a world first, Victoria has retroactively removed the privacy of donors like Clark. Since 1 March, all donor-conceived people have had the legal right to find out their donor’s name and date of birth, even … Read More
March 15, 2017
(Nature) – Like a zombie that keeps on kicking, legal battles over mutant mice used for Alzheimer’s research are haunting the field once again — four years after the last round of lawsuits. In the latest case, the University of … Read More
