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Certain Research Could Remain Limited Under New Stem Cell Rules, New York Times Editorial States
The "good news" about the Obama administration"s final guidelines for federally funded embryonic stem cell research is that "government money will pay for a lot more research than was possible under the Bush administration"s cramped and ideologically driven restrictions," according to a New York Times editorial. However, "some of the most promising future research could still be denied public support," the editorial continues.Under former President George W. Bush, federal funding for embryonic stem cell research was limited "to a mere 21 lines that had been derived with private money from surplus embryos at fertility clinics before mid-2001," the editorial states. The new guidelines allow scientists "to use new stem cell lines provided they come from surplus fertility embryos that were donated under strict ethical rules," according to the editorial. It adds, "Those rules stipulate that donors must be fully informed that any embryo donated for research would be destroyed in the process and that there are other choices for disposing of surplus embryos." In addition, donors must "give written consent at the time of donation, have the right to change their minds and must not receive payment for the donation or expect medical or financial benefits later," the editorial notes.The editorial continues that NIH, "[f]earing controversy, ... decided to deny support to research using lines that might eventually be created in the laboratory by "therapeutic cloning" to match specific patients with specific diseases." It adds, "Such cells could provide a valuable way to study the early stages of a disease and to derive stem cell implants that would not be rejected by a patient"s immune system." The editorial states that NIH officials argued that scientists have yet to successfully derive human embryonic stem cells from therapeutic cloning and that "there is no strong public sentiment for moving beyond the use of surplus embryos that would otherwise be discarded." The editorial concludes, "The agency will need to reconsider those judgments as science and ethical thinking evolves. For now, the administration seems determined to follow congressional and public opinion rather than lead it" (New York Times, 7/8).
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Debate Surrounds Federal System That Rates Nursing Homes
A new federal rating system to track quality gives nursing homes mixed reviews. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) developed the Nursing Home Compare Web site, which compares the nation"s 15,600 homes. There were complaints that the old site was unmanageable.
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New Market Research Study Shows Lung Cancer Treatments Differ Significantly By Both Age And Geography
There are striking differences in treatment regimens for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, based on both age and geography, according to a new market research study conducted by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, presented as a poster on Saturday at the 2009 ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) meeting in Orlando, Florida (Abstract no.: 8053; Poster no.: N15). Performed in conjunction with TNS Healthcare, the representative study shows that among patients with advanced NSCLC, monotherapy is used most often among those 70 or older, while combination therapies are administered most frequently to younger patients. Location also is a key factor in determining therapy choice, with a chemotherapy doublet plus a targeted agent far more common in the US than in Europe.
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Inovio Biomedical To Present At International DNA Vaccine Conference

Inovio Biomedical Corporation (NYSE Amex:INO), a leader in DNA vaccine design, development and delivery, announced today that it will make multiple presentations at the Annual Conference of DNA Vaccines in Asia 2009 being hosted by the International Society of DNA Vaccines July 9 - 10 at the Beijing International Convention Center. The conference, with the theme, "Advancing DNA Vaccine Technology," is co-chaired by David B. Weiner, Ph.D., professor of pathology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and chairman of Inovio"s scientific advisory board. Inovio scientists and associates will be making the following presentations: Engineering Highly Immune Potent DNA Vaccines by Engineering Molecular Biology, Immunology and Physical Delivery In Vivo Presidential Address and Keynote Lecture David B. Weiner, Ph.D. Thursday July 9 08:30 - 09:05 Location: 305BC Immune Therapy by Electroporation Plenary Session 2 Iacob Mathiesen, Ph.D., Managing Director, Inovio AS Thursday July 9 11:00 - 12:10 Location: 305BC Pandemic and Seasonal Influenza DNA Vaccines Delivered via Electroporation Plenary Session 3 Niranjan Y. Sardesai, Ph.D., Sr. VP, Research & Development, Inovio Biomedical Thursday July 9 13:10 - 14:55 Location: 305BC Special Considerations for Multi-Component DNA Vaccine Production Plenary Session 7 Henry Hebel, Chief Operating Officer, VGXI Inc. Friday July 10 11:00 - 12:10 Location: 305BC Inovio Biomedical Corporation


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