Medical Regs & Ethics
False positives and false promises for Alzheimer’s disease
A recent study claims to predict Alzheimer's disease with just a blood test. But analysis of the reported statistics show ...
Missisippi baby with HIV cured by early therapy, now positive for virus’ DNA again
Two months shy of her fourth birthday, paediatricians gave the ‘Mississippi baby’ bad news: her HIV infection, seemingly vanquished by ...
Scientists look for ‘gerontogens’ substances that work with our genes to induce aging
Why do our bodies age at different rates? Why can some people run marathons at the age of 70 while ...
Two mutatons linked to common liver cancer, may help target treatments
Two genetic mutations in liver cells may drive tumor formation in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), the second most common form of ...
Examining California stem cell agency’s shady business ties
Alan Trounson, until very recently president of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), has accepted a position on the ...
Patient with nasal tissue tumor illustrates unknowable side effects of stem cells
A patient at a Portuguese hospital had a nasal tissue tumor removed from the site of an eight-year-old stem cell ...
China lifts ban on prenatal genetic testing
The mainland has lifted the controversial ban on medical diagnostic products that can help detect birth defects in unborn children ...
Kids with two mutations in HLA gene much more likely to develop celiac disease
Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haplotype DR3-DQ2 is associated with dosage-dependent increases in risk for celiac disease autoimmunity and celiac disease ...
Tooth decay a genetic problem
Remember "The Big Book of British Smiles" from "The Simpsons"? The dentist used it to scare children into proper dental ...
Don’t pick on three-parent IVF: We already create ‘designer’ children
A new type of in-vitro fertilization procedure allows doctors to transfer the mitochondrial DNA from one woman into the egg ...
Are older dads genetically risky?
Dad's age at the time of conception increases risk of some genetically linked diseases including autism and schizophrenia. But older ...
Massachusetts biotech incentives eclipsed by competitive states
Massachusetts has made its way over the past half-dozen years to being an undisputed leader in biotechnology and life sciences ...
Using genetic risk and math, scientists predict which teen drinkers will develop problem
Scientists have pinpointed lots of factors that increase the risk of alcohol misuse — a bit. Adolescents who are anxious ...
Genetically engineered red blood cells could be drug delivery drones
Red blood cells may one day do more than carry oxygen around the body – they have been genetically engineered ...
Controversial stem cell papers finally, officially retracted
Following months of controversy, editors at the scientific journal Nature have retracted two high-profile studies that purported to demonstrate a ...
Gene modification of adult cells offers more hope for Type 1 diabetes than stem cells
By deleting a single gene in human gut endocrine progenitor and serotonin-producing cells, researchers reported that they were able convert ...
Developmental brain gene protects against Alzheimer’s disease
More than five million people in the U.S. have Alzheimer's disease. Scientists at Harvard Medical School and their colleagues have ...
Anti-GMO advocates try to scare diabetics off life-saving genetically engineered drug treatment
Usually food-obsessed anti-GMO advocates have turned their sights toward one of modern technology’s must prized successes: genetically engineered synthetic human ...
Call for integrity for stem cell research amid global controversy
Scientists around the world are campaigning in favor of sensible regulation of stem-cell therapies. We have two reactions: (1) kudos ...
Genesis and ethics of embryo’s conceived with help of a third parent
In August 1996, at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, N.J., a 39-year-old mechanical engineer from Pittsburgh named Maureen Ott ...
T-cells trained to fight viruses offer hope for bone marrow transplant patients
A team at the Baylor College of Medicine in Texas has devised a much more efficient method for 'training' killer ...
Reverse reefer madness? Schizophrenia genes predict heavy pot use
Does marijuana smoking cause psychosis? Or could psychosis drive pot smoking? If you believe the panned and parodied 1936 film ...
Nature vs. nurture affects how we age
What makes us age biologically? We have always been intrigued by this question. Yet, it remains a fundamental research challenge ...
What is ‘precision medicine’?
The future of precision medicine means every patient will have treatments and prevention tailored to his or her genes and ...
Shitty story: Oldest-ever human fossil feces suggests Neanderthal’s omnivory
Poop is the 'perfect evidence' when it comes to answering questions about diet, and a record-setting new find of fossilized ...
Herbicide-resistant crops can exacerbate ‘superweeds’ but new GM versions can help control problem
The growing problem of herbicide-resistant weeds has weed scientists and regulators pushing for more solutions to tackle the problem, including ...
Stem cells responsible for fat in bone marrow and consequent disease
Our bones are not stagnant, rock-like things. They change. Marrow—the tissue inside bones—is full of various kinds of cells. And ...
