Biomedical Regulations & Ethics
Are you ‘icked out’ by human-monkey chimeras? Here’s why scientists have taken this controversial step
[July 31], news broke that a prominent stem cell researcher is making human-monkey chimeras in a secretive lab in China ...
Rushing to revamp international gene-editing rules before ‘crazy people’ start opening embryo-editing clinics
The second-most shocking thing He Jiankui told the international genome editing summit in Hong Kong last November — right after ...
Podcast: Francis Galton: Brilliant scientist—and eugenics pioneer. How do we address his racist legacy?
Geneticist Dr Kat Arney explores how Francis Galton's eugenic ideas led directly to some of the 20th century's worst atrocities ...
‘Don’t try this at home’: New California law targets biohacking, do-it-yourself CRISPR
California wants to make it clear that tinkering with your own genes is a “don’t try this at home” sort ...
FDA mulling whether patients should have to pay to join clinical trials
Some [clinical trials] plan to ask participants to pay $7,000 or so to enroll. Another wanted to ask for upward ...
Why we may never know the fate—good or bad—of China’s controversial CRISPR babies
Since the gene-edited babies known as Lulu and Nana became international news in November 2018, scientific debate and media speculation ...
Why China’s willingness to push ethical boundaries with CRISPR research ‘could end up benefiting us all’
Today, [China] serves as the global center for CRISPR animal experiments, with its scientists being the first to use the ...
Unproven stem cell treatments gain popularity boost from Max Scherzer, Tiger Woods, other pro athletes
Stem cells and related therapies, such as platelet injections, have been used for the past decade by top athletes: golfer ...
Why are autistic people 50% more likely to die during a hospital stay?
Adults with autism are nearly 50 percent more likely to die in the hospital than their neurotypical peers, according to ...
Price of progress: Debating the ethics of charging families to participate in stem cell trials for autism
During four visits to Panama over nine months, Aaron [a 9-year-old boy with autism] received infusions of stem cells harvested ...
Application for pricey gene therapy Zolgensma contained manipulated data, but drug will remain on market, FDA says
The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday [August 7] that Novartis submitted manipulated data as part of its application for ...
Why efforts to contain Ebola through experimental vaccines could change Uganda’s opposition to GMO crops
Uganda appears to be in a stalemate over genetically-engineered crops. Could Ebola change that? ...
Human-monkey chimeras created in China in quest to grow transplantable human organs
An international team of researchers has created embryos containing both human and monkey cells, the Spanish newspaper El País reported July ...
Calling for a halt to gene-edited babies, World Health Organization stops short of ‘all-out moratorium’
The world’s largest public health authority has weighed in with the most authoritative statement yet on the use of Crispr ...
Deep dive into US stem cell clinics gives reason to worry about ‘unsafe or useless treatments’
Medical clinics that provide largely unregulated stem cell treatments are popping up all over the U.S. But a new study ...
Accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein’s obsession with scientists: ‘He collects beautiful minds’
As the New York Times reported [July 31], [Jeffrey] Epstein’s “passion for cutting-edge science” at times verged into eugenics. Multiple ...
Alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein had a dream: He wanted to ‘seed the human race with his DNA’
Jeffrey E. Epstein, the wealthy financier who is accused of sex trafficking, had an unusual dream: He hoped to seed ...
Creating Superman (and woman): Who benefits from human enhancement?
Using genetic modification, nanotechnology, bionics, reconstructive surgery, hormones, drugs or any combination of these approaches, real-life human enhancement is looking ...
Podcast: Should you get your entire genome sequenced? The pros and cons of diving into your DNA
Given how little we know about how variations in the genome affect health and disease, is direct-to-consumer whole genome sequencing ...
Viewpoint: We need to consider the psychological, behavioral implications of Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface
Despite the technical promise of wireless read-write brain-machine interfaces, companies like Neuralink are in danger of getting so wrapped up ...
Curaleaf’s unproven claims that CBD treats cancer, Alzheimer’s, chronic pain draws FDA warning
The company Curaleaf claims that it has developed products that can treat a slew of the most formidable conditions found ...
Knowledge without context: Why consumer genetic tests can spark needless fears, behavioral changes
Direct-to-consumer genetic tests are growing in popularity. They can tell us a lot about our personal building blocks. But there ...
Podcast: AI-powered nutrition devices could cut exploding obesity rates. Will FDA rules keep them off the market?
Medical devices powered by artificial intelligence could help overweight people customize diets based on their biomarkers ...
Inaccuracies in consumer genetic tests for BRCA mutations prompt call for crackdown from UK doctors
Senior doctors have called for a crackdown on consumer genetic tests, following an influx of patients who have been wrongly ...
Viewpoint: Trump’s proposed drug price cap would threaten gene therapies, cell-based therapies by stifling innovation
President Trump has said he plans to issue an executive order to lower what the United States government would pay ...
Viewpoint: Evidence for CBD oil as a miracle cure-all ‘isn’t impressive at all’
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil is everywhere and seemingly in everything these days. It’s touted as a panacea for a massive range ...
Viewpoint: FDA ‘accelerated’ drug approvals offer relief for critically ill patients. But more could be done.
Desperately-needed therapies often warrant early approvals ...
Spinal cord tumor illustrates long-term risks of controversial stem cell therapies
Stem cell therapies have the potential to treat many conditions, but so far there’s little proof that they do. Even ...
