Giant Crabs: The Onion Has some fun with GMOs

In a quick and driveby post:


Experts Agree Giant, Razor-Clawed Bioengineered Crabs Pose No Threat

What We've Been Reading This Past Week

~ Stem-cell ‘tourists’ travel to where they have access to controversial stem-
cell therapies/ treatments.

~ Every baby born a decade from now will have its genetic code mapped at
birth predicts head of genomics company. Just because we can, does that
mean we should?

~ More docs tell pharma reps to keep out. Does this mean no more free post-
its?

~ Comprehensive reform bill that would have banned pharma gifts to docs voted
down in Colorado.

~ Experts say consumers should have more facts in drug ads so they can make informed decisions.

~ Glaxo to cut prices on drugs sold in poor countries. They will also invest
profits in building clinics in those countries.

~ The U.S. drug industry has shifted most of its clinical trials to overseas
sites raises serious ethical concerns.

~ U.S. court: No link between vaccines and autism.

~ Pfizer owes damages for bilking Wisconsin Medicaid.

~ EU governments have no right to conceal the location of field trials of genetically modified (GM) crops.

~ Men may be their own worst enemy when it comes to their health.

~ Women on the other hand …: Coffee drinking lowers women’s stroke risk. Ooooh, imagine a Starbucks ‘pharmacy’ on every corner …

~ BUT, too much soda can kill a girl’s kidneys.

~ Deadly bacteria defy drugs, alarming doctors. Is this an argument for or against anti-bacterial soap? You decide!

~ Llama’s have unique antibodies that one day might be used to treat immune system diseases in humans.

~ Scientists have unraveled the genetic code of the common cold. Spectacular!

~ Decoy molecules drive cancer cells to suicide.

~Altered virus effectively delivers new gene to replace faulty one that causes CF and completely rids the lung of disease. I wonder if these researchers have seen I Am Legend?

~ Researchers have discovered that the good bacteria found in dairy products might also be an effective vehicle for an oral vaccine that can provide immunity to anthrax exposure.

~ A new study indicates that a pneumonia vaccine can significantly cut the risk of heart disease.

~ Oh, Baby: A prenatal link to Alzheimer's?

~ Doctors have identified two genetic mutations that control the growth and
development of malignant gliomas; maybe good news for brain tumor patients.

~ Cotton candy as a substrate to re-grow vascular tissue.

~ Biotechnology's potential barely exploited.

~ Stimulus package includes funds for comparison of the effectiveness of
medical treatments.

~ President Obama to lift ban on embryonic stem cell research soon.

~ Scientists and doctors try to qualm public fears about vaccines and autism.

~ Scientists preparing to storm Capitol Hill on March 25 (a.k.a. the million
scientist march?). Registration ends Feb. 23.

~ No European stem cell patent for spinal cord repair.

~ Retired nurse invents cough, sneeze cover. Maybe she can convince the
airlines to make these standard issue …

~ FDA approves new and improved treatment for gout (the first in 40 ~years!).

~ But agency second guessing another …Savient gout drug faces approval delay.

~ FDA orders Bayer to correct earlier claims in Yaz birth control ad.

~ FDA deliberately backed off of "Good Laboratory Practice" requirements for
medical device makers.

~FDA wants one strain changed for next flu vaccine.

~ Orphaned baby chimpanzees cared for by humans in a loving, attentive manner have been found to be more cognitively advanced than some human infants. But, then, is this really that weird? They do share over 99% of our DNA.

~ Parody: FDA Approves Depressant Drug For The Annoyingly Cheerful.

[Thank you to Lisa von Biela, JD candidate, 2009, UMN, Editor of the BioBlurb, from which this content is partially taken and edited. BioBlurb is a weekly electronic publication of the American Bar Association's Committee on Biotechnology, Section of Science & Technology Law. Archived issues of the BioBlurb, as well as further information about the Committee on Biotechnology, are available here.]

Noteworthy News in Bioethics this past week

- National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) has set aside $3.9M in funding for 2010 to create several cross-disciplinary centers to study the ethical, legal, and social implications of genomics technologies. (Might sound like a lot, but does that money go quickly!)

- Personal genomics continues to grow and commodify, but is it accurate, is it wise? The average consumer can order up tests via the Internet, but what to make of the results? Once the information is known, what about one’s insurability in this era of tricky health care coverage?

- Transfusion-free medical facilities avoid the need for blood transfusions during surgery by using technology to conserve and re-infuse the patient’s own blood. The technique eliminates all sorts of risks and expenses.

- Emergency planners seek to help home-based life-support users in major outages, etc. All the various ice storms have been taking a toll, and sometimes the outages are so long that even those individuals prepared with backup plans aren’t adequately covered.

- Meta-analysis confirms value of risk reducing salpingo-oophorectomy for women with BRCA mutations.

- Injected biomaterial allows new blood vessels to grow by creating a “smart scaffold.”

- Life as we know it nearly created in lab. Primordial stuff, but haven't we heard this before?

- InNexus primate study clears way for human trials on non-Hodgkins lymphoma tumors.

- Government relaunches site for Web-based family tree of medical history. Touts it as a way to keep the complete family history in one place, so it’s more accurate for doctors to use.

- The “Malthusian Spectre” and American Health Care (a transcript of a discussion of health care costs and what could be done).

- Democrats seek $1B to compare effectiveness of medical treatments, part of efforts to lower health care costs.

- Both sides claim victory in patent battle over new type of heart valve. Both sides? How often does *that* happen? Actually, it makes sense when read in light of patent law.

- Government investigators report that the FDA is lax on requiring—and following up on—financial conflicts of doctors who conduct clinical trials of drugs and medical devices in human subjects. Ah, one of those comforting stories. Not.

- FDA promises openness in approval process for drugs and food from genetically engineered animals. Scrutiny by independent advisors at public meetings (hmmm….does that include spidergoats and glow-in-the-dark pigs?)

- USDA unable to weed out unapproved modified foods . Oh good, even if we shore up our own regs on this, we can’t keep the engineered plants and animals out of our food supply anyway. Not hopeful news.

- FDA lets drugmakers advise doctors on unapproved uses of medications, per FDA’s new guidelines on the matter. (Why does the image of foxes and henhouses come to mind?)

- People who sleep less than 7 hours per night are 3 times more likely to catch a cold. So get some rest!

[Thank you to Lisa von Biela, JD candidate, 2009, UMN, Editor of the BioBlurb, from which this content is partially taken and edited. BioBlurb is a weekly electronic publication of the American Bar Association's Committee on Biotechnology, Section of Science & Technology Law. Archived issues of the BioBlurb, as well as further information about the Committee on Biotechnology, are available here.]