Category: Biotechnology
What is CRISPR anyway? And how does it work?
Some bacteria have an enzyme that can cut the DNA of invading viruses as a defense mechanism. Scientists realized they could use this enzyme to edit human DNA.
An Apple Watch for Grandma’s Stocking?
The new Apple Watch includes new features designed to detect falls and heart problems.
Pricey precision medicine can be financially toxic
The high cost of cutting-edge treatments threatens to keep precision medicine, one of the most celebrated areas in cancer care, out of reach for many patients.
The app will see you now?
As the number of mobile health apps surged to a record 325,000 in 2017, app performance is going largely unpoliced.
States Act To Safeguard Young Cancer Patients’ Chances To Have Children
Health insurance doesn’t typically cover fertility preservation care, so patients and their families may be deterred by the cost.
Should we edit the genomes of human embryos?
Surveys show that the public are optimistic about genome editing for curing diseases, but there can also be a lack of trust about how this technology will be used.
Fight over fetal tissue research heats up
The Trump administration faces mounting pressure from conservative lawmakers and abortion opponents to halt the use of tissue obtained from aborted fetuses.
Why life insurance companies want your Fitbit data
Insurers could use these apps to track all the activities you do while wearing the smartwatch, including steps walked, heart rate, even when you’re having sex.
Older Adults Have High Interest in Genetic Testing — and Some Reservations
More than 1 in 10 have had genetic tests ordered by a doctor or ordered them directly, a new survey finds. Others say they’re interested, but many have concerns.
Courts forcing states to provide costly hepatitis C treatment
Courts have ruled states cannot withhold potentially life-saving but expensive medications from Medicaid beneficiaries and prison inmates who have hepatitis C.
Medical center’s cozy deal with start-up ignites new uproar
The center’s pathologists have objected to the deal, saying it is unfair that the founders received equity that relies on the pathologists’ expertise and work
How biobanks can gain patient trust
Universities that sell access to their biobanks to private companies should tell patients and be transparent about how profits are used, a new survey shows.
Gene-editing technique CRISPR identifies dangerous breast cancer mutations
CRISPR was used to introduce mutations into cells that see what effects these mutations have on the cell.
Is ‘Precision Medicine’ The Answer To Cancer? Not Precisely.
Doctors and hospitals love to talk about patients saved with precision medicine, and reporters love to write about them, but success is, in fact, rare.
The Man Who Sold America On Vitamin D — And Profited In The Process
The doctor most responsible for turning the sunshine supplement into a billion-dollar juggernaut has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the vitamin D industry, according to government records and interviews.