bioethics.net News Update

Stem Cells Show Size-Specific Reaction to Nanopatterns

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 04:07:06 EDT

Scientists in Germany have found that surface topography can be more important than chemistry for stem cells. Patrik Schmuki of the Frederich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, and colleagues looked at how stem cells behave on nanotube-coated surfaces and found that they show a size-specific reaction to the nanopatterns. The researchers propose that nanopatterned surfaces could have potential applications in tissue engineering and in medical implants, such as replacement hips. Schmuki suggests that decorating implant surfaces with patterns on a similar scale to cells (around 10 micrometres) may improve the implant's integration into the body.

Embryonic Stem Cells - and Other Stem Cells - Promise to Advance Treatments

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:59:59 EDT

For Thomas Clegg, the Obama administration's decision in March to lift certain restrictions on government funding of stem cell research was beside the point. The 58-year-old congestive heart failure patient had received an experimental stem cell therapy before the new president even took office. In November, researchers at Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center in Houston removed some of Clegg's bone marrow and sent it off to a lab, where the best and hardiest of its stem cells were extracted and concentrated. Less than a month after Obama's historic election, those cells were injected directly into Clegg's heart, where the researchers hope they will spark healing and regeneration.

Time for a Scientific Code of Ethics

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:01:28 EDT

In the light of recent high-profile scandals � one researcher has asked: Just how common is scientific misconduct? And her conclusions are worrying. Daniele Fanelli of the University of Edinburgh conducted the first meta-analysis of surveys questioning scientists about their misbehaviours. The results suggest that altering or making up data is more frequent than previously estimated and might be particularly high in medical research. There have been previous estimates based on indirect data (for example, official retractions of scientific papers or random data audits) which have produced largely discrepant results. Many researchers have asked scientists directly, with surveys conducted in different countries and disciplines. However, they have used different methods and asked different questions, so their results also appeared inconclusive.

Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Gene Flaws Overlap

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:22:59 EDT

A hoard of genetic flaws have been tied to both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in a huge trial that suggests the two mental illnesses have similar roots. Scientists have long believed that schizophrenia is distinct from bipolar disorder, which is also known as manic depression. But now the study, which uncovered thousands of genetic errors which predispose people to schizophrenia, showed that many were the same as those that trigger bipolar disorder. The multinational group of researchers analysed the DNA of 8,000 people with schizophrenia, and 19,000 without it, in three studies reported in the journal Nature.

Bioethicists Lead Call for Public Debates on Future Uses of Stem Cells

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:18:24 EDT

More than 40 scientists, bioethicists, lawyers and science journal editors are calling on their colleagues, policy makers and the public to begin developing guidelines for the research and reproductive use of stem cell-derived eggs and sperm, even though such use may be a decade or more away. "Science has always moved faster than social debate or society's ability to grapple with these issues," says Debra Mathews, Ph.D., lead author of a paper published in the July issue of Cell Stem Cell and assistant director of science programs at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. The paper calls for all parties to begin engaging in open discussion and debates, and describes the need for informed social policy well in advance of the eventual use of eggs and sperm derived from pluripotent stem cells.

Hoopla, and Disappointment, in Schizophrenia Research

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:10:01 EDT

The journal Nature held a big press conference in London Wednesday, at the World Conference of Science Journalists, to unveil three large studies of the genetics of schizophrenia. Press releases from five American and European institutions celebrated the findings, one using epithets like �landmark,� �major step forward,� and �real scientific breakthrough.� It was the kind of hoopla you�d expect for an actual scientific advance. It seems to me the reports represent more of a historic defeat, a Pearl Harbor of schizophrenia research.

Should Obama Try to Reset the Planet's Thermostat?

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:44:44 EDT

On Monday, the Waxman-Markey climate bill moved to the Senate floor after narrowly passing the House. It's a step, yes�but as everyone knows, cooling the planet will require a lot more than closing an emissions deal. That's why earlier this month the august National Academy of Sciences (NAS) brought together in Washington, DC, leading scientists, economists, policy experts, philosophers, and a menagerie of other experts for a two-day workshop to discuss a crazy-sounding idea: Should the US consider geoengineering the planet's atmosphere to combat global warming?

Online Genetic Testing Appears to Have Benefits

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:42:53 EDT

Online genetic testing for lung cancer appears to offer some benefits to patients, according to U.S. researchers who evaluated the use of an online test among 44 smokers. "Up until now we have had a clear model for genetic testing. You see a professional genetics counselor, undergo a battery of tests and that professional helps you interpret your results," Saskia Sanderson, who conducted the study while at the social and behavioral research branch of the U.S. National Human Genome Research Institute, said in a news release from the American Association for Cancer Research.

U.S. Doctors Treat Heart Attack with Man's Own Stem Cells

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:38:51 EDT

American physicians say they've performed the first procedure in which a patient received injections of his own heart stem cells to repair heart attack damage. The 39-year-old man is the first of 16 people who will undergo the procedure as part of a phase 1 clinical trial being conducted at Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles. Another eight people will act as controls. All of the participants have damage and scarring from heart attacks that occurred within four weeks before their enrollment in the study. They will be monitored for six months after the procedure, and the results are to be released in late 2010.

Lawsuit Tests How Far Companies Can Go in Patenting Our Genes

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:19:26 EDT

Single mom Lisbeth Ceriani lives just outside of Boston with her 8-year-old daughter. When Ceriani discovered in May 2008 that she had cancer in both breasts, she agreed to a double mastectomy. Because some women who develop breast cancer also have a propensity for ovarian cancer, Ceriani's oncologist advised her to have her DNA tested�specifically, her BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, telltale markers for cancer susceptibility. But the company that provided the testing, Myriad Genetics, wouldn't accept her Medicaid insurance. At around $3,000, the test was too expensive for Ceriani to pay up front.

Swine Flu Vaccine Made in Europe

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:13:20 EDT

The first doses of an H1N1 swine flu vaccine have been produced in Europe - but it will be around two months before any is distributed. The doses were produced by Novartis at a plant in Marburg, Germany. The vaccine was made in cell culture, a much faster method than the traditional way of growing it in eggs. But Novartis said although the vaccine is ready, the first batch will not be used, as it was created using the wild type strain of H1N1. All large scale vaccine production around the world will use a slightly modified "reassortant seed" virus.

Obama Steers Health Debate Out of Capitol

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:03:00 EDT

With Democrats deeply divided over health legislation, President Obama is trying to enlist the nation�s governors and his own army of grass-roots supporters in a bid to increase pressure on lawmakers without getting himself mired in the messy battle playing out on Capitol Hill. In a meeting last week with five governors � including Republicans who may be more sympathetic to health legislation than those on Capitol Hill � Mr. Obama privately urged them to serve as his emissaries to Congress. He even coached them on the language they should use with lawmakers, two of the governors said, advising them to avoid terms like �rationing� and �managed care,� which evoke bitter memories of the Clintons� ill-fated health initiative.

Swine Flu "Shows Drug Resistance"

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:00:03 EDT

Experts have reported the first case of swine flu that is resistant to tamiflu - the main drug being used to fight the pandemic. Roche Holding AG confirmed a patient with H1N1 influenza in Denmark showed resistance to the antiviral drug. David Reddy, company executive, said it was not unexpected given that common seasonal flu could do the same. The news comes as a nine-year-old girl has become the third to die in the UK with swine flu. It is understood from her doctors at Birmingham Children's Hospital that she had underlying health conditions. It is not yet known whether swine flu contributed to her death.

Argentina: Health Minister Resigns over Handling of Flu Cases

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:58:34 EDT

Graciela Oca�a, Argentina�s health minister, resigned Monday amid a fast-spreading outbreak of swine flu that has killed 26 people in the country, government officials said.Speculation had grown in recent weeks that Ms. Oca�a was considering resigning over differences with the government in the handling of the outbreak and a previous dengue fever outbreak. Argentine news media reported that other cabinet ministers had blocked her proposed measures for handling the epidemics. Dr. Juan Manzur, the vice-governor of Tucuman Province and a former health minister there, will take over for Ms. Ocana, said Sergio Massa, the government�s chief of staff. Mr. Massa and President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner met with a committee of experts to discuss how to contain swine flu.

Geron to Provide Stem Cells to GE Unit

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:47:15 EDT

Biotech company Geron Corp. agreed to provide stem cells to General Electric Co.'s GE Healthcare for use in tools that will test for the toxic effects of drug treatments, a move that takes GE further into stem-cell research. The agreement marks the first time that a company of GE's stature and size has announced a business venture involving the controversial field of embryonic stem cells. That could reflect a more tolerant climate for the technology in the wake of the Obama administration's recent relaxation of restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research.