News in a nutshell
| 2 May, 2011 | Adie Chan |
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This week’s news includes a federal court’s decision to continue federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research, an update from the first patient of the first human embryonic stem cells trial of paralysis, ground zero reports of a tornado’s effect on the University of Alabama, a report claiming that chronic diseases have supplanted infectious diseases as world’s no.1 killer, new treatments for hepatitis C, and a notable veterinary scientist dies.
Taxpayers to continue to fund stem cell research
On Friday a US Federal Court of Appeals in Washington ruled in favor of using federal money for funding human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research, overturning a ban proposed last August. Arguing that the current guidelines for obtaining stem cells from unused embryos of fertility clinics violates US law – which prohibits federal funding when an embryo has been destroyed for research purposes – a federal judge called for the halting of funds for current hESC research, a decision that was quickly appealed by the Obama administration. Last week’s decision means that federal funding will continue while the matter is further settled.
Success in stem cell treatment for paralysis
In other stem cell news, a young man from Alabama who participated in the first clinical trial for hESC treatment after being partially paralyzed by a car accident seven months ago has regained feeling in his legs, The Orange County Register reports. The treatment involved the injection of neural cells programmed from embryonic stem cells. Although his case remains anecdotal, this may mark the first successful stem cell treatment of paralysis.
Twister’s impact on the University of Alabama
Image: Wikipedia/ National Severe Storms Laboratory
A monster storm ravaged the southern United States last Wednesday, killing dozens of people in four states and giving rise to more than 45 tornadoes, one of which flattened the city of Tuscaloosa, Alabama – home to the University of Alabama. Fortunately, the mile-wide tornado narrowly missed the campus, the Vice President of Research, Donald Benson, told The Scientist in an email, adding that “the impact of the storm on our research infrastructure was minimal.” But Carmen Burkhalter, Senior Associate Dean of The College of Arts and Sciences also said in an email that the life and property damage to student and faculty members has been extensive. “We are still just in survival mode,” she said in an email last Friday. (With reporting by Hannah Waters)
Chronic diseases world’s no. 1 killer
Chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease are now the biggest killers around the world, a new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) found. Accounting for more than 60 percent of the deaths worldwide in 2008, chronic diseases have surpassed the major infectious killers such as malaria and AIDS as the most deadly human diseases. And though infections and poverty-related issues still dominate death counts in the impoverished countries of Africa, chronic diseases are expected to tip the mortality scales there as well by 2020, ScienceInsider reports.
Two new drugs for Hep C
Last week a US Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted in favor of two new drugs for the treatment of hepatitis C: telaprevir from Vertex Pharmaceuticals and boceprevir from Merck. During clinical trials, these two protease inhibitors each had a cure rate of more than 75 percent when taken in combination with existing drugs, prompting the FDA to call them game-changers in the treatment of the viral disease which affects around 180 million people worldwide, according to Fierce Biotech.
Veterinary champion dies
Isabel Minguez-Tudela, a veterinary scientist who dedicated 20 years to the improvement of animal health and the control and prevention of zoonotic diseases such as swine flu, avian influenza, bovine spongiform encephalitis, rabies, and many others, died last month after a long battle with cancer. A native of Spain, Mingues-Tudela did her graduate studies in animal virology in the Complutense University of Madrid before becoming senior scientific officer of the Research & Innovation division at the European Commission. Among her many achievements is the creation of a strong European network of veterinary scientists. In her memory, the World Health Organization will dedicate the next report of the Neglected Zoonotic Diseases meeting to her.
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Interesting news this week! I hope that eeveryone’s Sunday was great and I hope that they have a great week! I also hope that they had a nice Passover last week. I’m sorry that I didn’t say anything about this, but it slipped my mind.