Category: Biotechnology
A blood test that screens for multiple cancers at once promises to boost early detection
Testing to look for circulating tumor DNA in the blood is not new. These liquid biopsies – a fancy way of saying blood tests – are already widely used for patients with advanced-stage cancer. Doctors use these blood tests to look for mutations in the tumor DNA that help guide treatment.
Newly available over-the-counter hearing aids offer many benefits, but consumers should be aware of the potential drawbacks
It seems the over-the-counter hearing aids would be a great solution for patients with hearing loss, right? Less hassle and less cost – in many cases, thousands of dollars less – and more people than ever getting the help they need. But it’s not that simple.
Say What? Hearing Aids Available Over-the-Counter for as Low as $199, and Without a Prescription
Starting Monday, consumers will be able to buy hearing aids directly off store shelves and at dramatically lower prices as a 2017 federal law finally takes effect.
NIH initiative to systematically investigate and establish function of every human gene
Creating a catalog of what all human genes do is no easy feat. Most genes are likely to have more than one function and behave differently depending on the type of cell in which they are expressed. In addition, genes may turn on or off depending on the cell’s relationship to surrounding cells, environment and age.
Using nanotechnology and AI to diagnose TB in children
Combining nanotechnology with artificial intelligence can diagnose tuberculosis in children in whom the deadly disease might otherwise go undetected.
Scientists set out to map the world’s genomic diversity
“The goal is to collect, organize and make accessible a representation of all the genetic variation that exist in humans, big, small, common and rare,” said Evan Eichler, a professor of genome sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle and one of the organizers of the project.
When it comes to the rarest of diseases, the diagnosis isn’t the answer – it’s just the starting point
Major advances in the precision and speed of gene sequencing technology followed by dramatic reductions in the costs of testing – have radically changed how medical genetics clinics function. But while sequencing can provide confirmation of a suspected, well-understood condition, it frequently results in a situation like that faced by the Smiths, where the testing result shows an incredibly rare disorder with little known about it.
Thousands of Patients Were Implanted With Heart Pumps That the FDA Knew Could Be Dangerous
Inspectors repeatedly found manufacturing and device quality problems with the HeartWare pump. But the FDA didn’t penalize the company, and patients had the device implanted without knowing the facts.
Health apps track vital health stats for millions of people, but doctors aren’t using the data
The potential for health-tracking apps to improve health care has barely been tapped.
The Wild Frontier of Model Organism Research
Powerful genetic tools have become cheap and agile enough for biologists to create new strains of model organisms
UW researchers make AI protein-structure prediction software available to all
With the software, researchers can solve problems that used to take years to work out.
Covid Was a Tipping Point for Telehealth.
If Some Have Their Way, Virtual Visits Are Here to Stay.
Telemedicine Is a Tool — Not a Replacement for Your Doctor’s Touch
Covid-19 let virtual medicine out of the bottle. Now it’s time to tame it.
Dying on the Waitlist
A key reason lifesaving ECMO is being rationed in the U.S. is a lack of regional coordination.
3 medical innovations fueled by COVID-19 that will outlast the pandemic
Genetic vaccines, wearable tech and new ways to discover drugs.