Science Controversies
Drug cocktail shows promise against pancreatic cancer, highlighting potential of combined treatments
Researchers led by a team at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have identified a combination of two already approved ...
Geneticist Pamela Ronald: Non GMO food label ‘dupes’ Americans into buying $26 billion worth of mostly misleadingly-labeled products
DESPITE broad scientific consensus that genetically modified (GMO) food is safe, there has been a proliferation of product labels seeking ...
Why the controversial—and retracted—paper linking vaccines and autism is one of the most cited papers of all time
Six librarians from institutions in Wisconsin had a question: “What are the characteristics of citations of the retracted 1998 article ...
‘Eye of Sauron’: Man’s strange eyes linked to rare genetic condition
Doctors in Texas came face to face with a dark, spine-tingling eye that looked rimmed by flames—or, as they calmly ...
Cancer cells alter mutation rates to survive targeted therapies. Researchers want to know how they do it.
In response to antibiotic treatment, bacteria improve their odds of survival by increasing the rate of mutations in their genomes, ...
Viewpoint: Beef industry campaign against calling plant-based burgers ‘meat’ assaults consumer choice
Ranchers and their political allies want to brand plant-based foods like the Impossible Burger as inferior imitations, but consumers shouldn’t ...
Seeking a better understanding of how space travel changes human heart cells
A team of researchers led by Joseph Wu, the director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, recently sent cardiomyocytes made from human ...
Europe’s rejection of GMO, CRISPR crops can teach scientists how to earn consumer trust
European regulators and consumers have been steadfast in their rejection of genetic modification in food. The idea of ‘Frankenfood’ has ...
Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb suggests regulators may crack down on ‘confusing’ non-GMO labels
If FDA ever enforces its own rules, they could stop lots of nonsense labels on food, and recent comments by ...
Gene-editing pioneer Jennifer Doudna calls for greater accountability on anniversary of China scientist CRISPR gene editing human embryo
There are key moments in the history of every disruptive technology that can make or break its public perception and ...
China’s new Alzheimer drug greeted with ‘surprise and skepticism’ by researchers
China’s approval of the drug oligomannate earlier this month for treating mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease has been met with surprise and ...
AI ethics can’t come from human medicine: Principles that guide doctors would ‘make no sense’ to a machine
The four core principles of medical ethics are respect for autonomy (patients should have control over how they are treated), ...
Alaska Senator Murkowski challenges Trump FDA Commissioner nominee over agency’s approval of fast-growing GMO AquAdvantage salmon
President Donald Trump’s selection to be the next head of the FDA faces a barrage of questions this week about ...
‘Self-eating’ mitochondria may make the brain vulnerable to Lou Gehrig’s disease
A newly discovered type of mitochondrial self-destruction may make some brain cells vulnerable to ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s ...
Biotech industry fears Canada’s uncertain CRISPR crop rules will slow farming innovation
Canada is falling behind other jurisdictions in providing clarity on how it will regulate new crop varieties developed through gene ...
Aging as a preventable disease: Why living to 100 should be easy
Science is investigating some intriguing clues suggesting that aging and death may not be as inevitable as we thought. David ...
Are highly educated people more likely to get cancer? Or just more likely to get tested?
A person’s socioeconomic status plays a role in the type of cancer they might get, the Cancer Registry researchers found ...
Xeno-Skin: Genetically engineered pigs may be source of transplantable skin for humans
In a pathogen-free facility in Grafton, Massachusetts, a small town about 40 miles west of Boston, genetically engineered miniature pigs ...
Can deep brain stimulation treat opioid addiction?
A surgeon has implanted electrodes in the brain of a patient suffering from severe opioid use disorder, hoping to cure ...
Burger King sued for cooking plant-based Impossible Burger on grill used to fry beef
Burger King was sued on [Nov. 18] by a vegan customer who accused the fast-food chain of contaminating its meatless ...
Two new drug-resistant superbugs added to CDC’s list of ‘most urgent threats’
Drug-resistant germs and related infections sicken about 3 million people and kill about 48,000 every year in the United States, ...
Second psychopharmacology revolution: New drugs could change the way we treat depression
The field of psychopharmacology was born during the 15 years between 1955 and 1970. Now, nearly 60 years later, the field of psychiatry may ...
United Nations FAO biotech expert panel: CRISPR gene editing can ‘transform’ agricultural production
CRISPR gene editing has a pivotal role to play in the fight against global food insecurity, a panel of US ...
Parliament pressures EU nations to restrict GMOs with non-binding vote opposing 4 biotech crop imports
The European Parliament objected to proposed EU approval to import four genetically modified crops, in a series of Nov. 14 ...
Patient’s ‘serious’ kidney injury halts gene therapy trial for Duchenne muscular dystrophy
The Food and Drug Administration has halted a clinical trial involving a Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy from Solid Biosciences ...
New gene-edited canola variety resists deadly disease, expected to drastically boost crop yields
Three new traits for canola, which can increase crop yields and reduce harmful environmental impacts, has been developed by Cibus, ...
Viewpoint: We can stop the infertility ‘guessing game’ by tapping into new tools, including noninvasive testing for endometriosis
Without understanding the root cause of infertility, treating it often becomes a guessing game. For doctors to effectively aid a ...
