July 17, 2019
(STAT News) – Scientists say they nearly eliminated disease-carrying mosquitoes on two islands in China using a new technique. The downside: It may not be practical for larger areas and may cost a lot of money. In the experiment, researchers … Read More
July 12, 2019
(Reuters) – Congo will not permit the use of further experimental vaccines as it combats an Ebola outbreak because doing so risked “confusing the population,” the government said on Friday. Health workers have vaccinated more than 130,000 people during the … Read More
July 12, 2019
(STAT News) – The U.S. government is growing the largest crop of research marijuana in five years, responding to interest in varieties with high levels of THC and CBD. The government is the only source of pot for nearly all … Read More
July 12, 2019
(Wired) – That iffy legality is what is worrying the patients and doctors who practice the procedure now. The FDA has allowed fecal transplants to take place, even though they’re not an approved procedure, because they work extraordinarily well—and because, … Read More
July 11, 2019
(New Scientist) – Five Russian couples who are deaf want to try the CRISPR gene-editing technique so they can have a biological child who can hear, biologist Denis Rebrikov has told New Scientist. He plans to apply to the relevant … Read More
July 2, 2019
(CBC) – Exaggerating animal research is just one aspect of health and science spin. Another common spin technique involves using “causal” language when the study isn’t able to prove cause. Other signs of spin? Omitting the report of adverse events … Read More
June 28, 2019
(CNN) – Floating disembodied conscious brains that issue commands to luckless human minions may be a cliché of science fiction, but they are a far cry from the primitive, lab-grown “cerebral organoids” that real scientists study today. New research suggests … Read More
June 28, 2019
(Science) – The perpetual shortage of human organs for transplant has researchers turning to farm animals. Several biotech companies are genetically engineering pigs to make their organs more compatible with the human body. But some scientists are pursuing a different … Read More
June 28, 2019
(The Conversation) – Medical experiments involving intentionally infecting people with bacteria, viruses, and parasites are surprisingly common. And they are becoming more common worldwide, particularly in developing countries. The ultimate aim of these “human challenge studies” is usually to test … Read More
June 27, 2019
(New Scientist) – Scientists growing miniature brains in a lab have created neural networks that act like those in the human brain. They hope the discovery will enable cheaper and easier research into brain diseases and drug development. In recent … Read More
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