Category: Biotechnology
Is virtual medicine going to be good for your health?
My doctor’s nurse is far better equipped to answer a question about my ongoing health problem than someone at a call center reading from a script.
Hidden Reports Masked The Scope Of Widespread Harm From Faulty Heart Device
Shortly after the device’s recall, the FDA and Medtronic made a deal to keep reports of its malfunction — now totaling 50,000 — shielded from public scrutiny.
Stem cell clinics pushing unproven treatments largely unregulated
There are more than 700 clinics in the U.S. selling unproven stem cell cellular therapies, generating $2 billion in global business that is largely unregulated.
Breast cancer diagnosis by AI now as good as human experts
One artificial intelligence system recently achieved a cancer detection accuracy comparable to an expert radiologist.
Gene therapy restores immunity in infants with ‘bubble boy’ disease
A small clinical trial has shown that gene therapy can safely correct the immune systems of infants newly diagnosed with a rare, inherited disorder.
UW protein design group wins $45 million award
“We hope to attract the best and brightest in the world to the institute to work on what we believe is going to be a protein-design revolution.”
Elite Hospitals Plunge Into Unproven Stem Cell Treatments
KING5 TV and Swedish Hospital criticized for promoting treatment that critics say is an “expensive placebo.”
Death By 1,000 Clicks
How electronic health records became an ‘unholy mess.’
Stem cell treatments for arthritic knees: unproven, expensive and potentially dangerous
Patients have paid thousands of dollars stem cell treatments only to discover hey were duped.
A ‘Fountain Of Youth’ Pill? Sure, If You’re A Mouse.
The researcher making these claims has a considerable financial stake in his claims being proven correct.
The Electronics Industry Sees Money In Your Health
Companies seek to make money getting people to worry about a problem they didn’t realize they had and create a solution for that worry via a high-tech product.
Health care industry spends $30B a year on advertising
Marketing drives more testing…more treatments. It’s a big part of why health care is so expensive… it’s the fancy, high-tech stuff things that get marketed.
Are you OK? Cellphone app detects opioid overdose
The app, called Second Chance, detects overdose-related symptoms about 90 percent of the time by tracking your breathing and movement.
Will I Always Face The Threat Of A Peanut-Laden Kiss Of Death?
When I see a report touting peanut allergy treatments, I devour it, an occupational hazard for a journalist whose reporting and medical history intertwine.
UW researchers find cause of rare genetic disorder
Repeating strings of DNA not easily detected using standard genetic tests appear to cause cases of a rare developmental disorder called Baratela-Scott syndrome.