|
|
|
Top News Stories for Week Ending
20SEPTEMBER |
|
|
|
Monday, 16 September
Swiss to Act to Keep
Out 'Suicide Tourists'--
Following news reports that foreigners are going to
Switzerland to commit suicide, the Swiss are considering
laws that would ban foreigners being able to do so.
The laws, not expected to go into effect until next year,
have some fearing that a rash of suicides will occur in
order to beat the new rules....
Telegraph - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/
09/14/wswis14.xml&sSheet=/news/2002/09/14/ixworld.html
UK:
Cloning/Stem Cell Business Closes Down--
The British firm that cloned the sheep Dolly is shuttering
part of its cloning operations to focus on more profitable
endeavors. The firm is also eliminating its stem cell
research program after failing to find someone to buy the
operation....
BBC - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/2260841.stm
(Web photo: BBC)
Higher
Drug Doses Seen as OK for Dying Patients--
A study released by a Toronto bioethics think tank suggests
that doctors should provide sufficient pain relief to
patients, even if it hastens death. Critics worry that
doctors will take the recommendations too loosely and will
step over the line into euthanasia....
Reuters - http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/4080696.htm
|
Tuesday, 17 September
New Genetic Screening Detects More Abnormalities in
Embryos--
IVF patients who undergo pre-implantation genetic diagnosis
might soon be able to opt for a quicker version of a more
comprehensive test called comparative genomic hybridization.
The test is supposed to better identify those embryos
without chromosomal abnormalities and boost chances of
successful IVF treatments....
Reuters - http://www.4woman.org/nwhic/News/2002/02sep17-2.htm
Hopes
Raised of Using Adult Stem Cells to Treat Muscular Dystrophy--
Scientists have achieved success for the first time in
treating mice who have the most common form of muscular
dystrophy with gene therapy. The therapy reactivates
the body's ability to the vital chemical dystrophin....
BBC - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2262217.stm
Stanford
Gene Therapists Use Trout to Find New Way to Do Gene Therapy--
Two scientists from Stanford University may have found a new
way to do gene therapy without the use of viral vectors, a
method which has a fraction of 1% success rate at the
cellular level. Using naturally occurring "transposons"
from trout, the researchers achieved a success rate of 100
times that of adenoviral systems, but still with only a 5%
total integration rate....
San Francisco Chronicle -
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/09/16/BU96366.DTL
|
Wednesday, 18 September
US
Dept of Health and Human Services Seeks Science Advice to
Match Bush Views--
The Bush
Administration has decided it is time to clean house at the
Department of Health and Human Services. After nearly two
years of being in office, officials have begun actively
replacing Clinton appointees to advisory committees with
ones who share the President's views and philosophy....
Washington Post - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26554-2002Sep16.html
UCSF
Begins Distribution of Embryonic Stem Cells--
The University of California at San Francisco began
distributions of tens of millions of embryonic stem cells in
the back of a silver Honda Civic after an overnight delivery
truck failed to show up. The distributions are a part
of a system funded by a $800,000 grant from the National
Institutes of Health....
San Francisco Chronicle -
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/09/18/MN241671.DTL
US Democrats Start Petition to Force Vote
on Drug Bill--
Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives have
begun to pressure the House leadership to bring up a bill
that would allow accelerated approval and marketing of
generic drugs. Opponents of the bill counter that the
legislation would undermine the patent rights of brand-name
companies....
New York Times - http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/19/politics/19DRUG.html
|
Thursday, 19 September
Australia: Lower House Approves Embryonic Stem Cell
Research--
In a vote of 103
to 36, Australia's lower house of Parliament approved a bill
allowing human embryonic stem cell
research. The bill, which now heads to the Senate,
would allow research on human embryos placed in storage
prior to April 5, 2002 but would prevent the creation of
embryos specifically for destruction....
Canberra Times - http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass
=national&category=general%20news&story_id=179324&y=2002&m=9
UK:
Dispute Over Frozen Embryos Heads to High Court--
Natallie
Evans and Lorraine Hadley take their case to Britain's High
Court in an attempt to gain permission to implant their
frozen embryos, something the fathers of the embryos
oppose....
BBC - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2268962.stm
(Web photo: BBC)
Lucky
Winner 'Could Cheat Death'--
The New Scientist magazine is offering one lucky reader the
chance to be cryopreserved upon death in hopes that one day,
the person could "rise again" with the help of
medical science....
BBC - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2268181.stm
|
Friday, 20 September
UK: Contested Embryos to Stay in Storage While Court
Battle Proceeds--
The claims of two women who want to have their frozen
embryos implanted over the objections of their ex-partners
will be heard by the British High Court sometime next year.
In the meantime, a judge has ordered that the embryos remain
in storage until the case is resolved....
Telegraph - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;$sessionid$RH4AIY4SLZR2BQFIQMFCF
GGAVCBQYIV0?xml=/news/2002/09/20/nivf20.xml&sSheet=/news/2002/09/20/ixhome.html
Dutch
Murder Trial Raises Euthanasia Questions--
A nurse in the Netherlands has been charged with murdering
13 of her patients, several of whom were severely
handicapped or terminally ill. The trial is raising
questions about the wisdom of legally allowing euthanasia to
be performed by medical professionals....
CNS News - http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewForeignBureaus.asp?Page=/ForeignBureaus/archive
/200209/FOR20020919f.html
|
|
|
