Failure Of Once-Promising Cancer Immunotherapy Underscores Questions Facing Field
Today's other public health stories cover news about aid-in-dying laws, HIV, whooping cough, gene editing, birth control access, the health benefits of dirt, colon cancer and hearing loss.
Stat:
A Humbling Setback For An Immune-Revving Cancer Therapy Underscores The Many Questions Facing The Field
The failure Thursday of an AstraZeneca combination immunotherapy in lung cancer is a humbling setback for the field — and a reminder that many questions remain unanswered. ... only about one-third of cancer patients benefit from treatment with these new therapies. (Feirstein, 7/27)
Stat:
A Murder Case Over Assisted Dying Divides Quebec. Should The Law Be Changed?
Michel Cadotte was charged with the second-degree murder of his wife of 19 years, Jocelyne Lizotte, who had Alzheimer’s disease. His lawyers have argued that it was an act of compassion, and his late wife’s sister testified at his bail hearing in June so that he could be released. (Boodman, 7/28)
CNN:
If US Cuts Global Aid, Who Will Pay To Control HIV?
Fear and concern are consuming the minds of many experts in the field of HIV control and it's not just because of the 1.8 million people that became newly infected with the virus, nor the 1 million who died of AIDS, in 2016. In fact, experts this week were heralding their progress against HIV during the ninth International AIDS Conference on HIV Science in Paris, with UNAIDS reporting last week that more than half of people living with HIV globally are now accessing treatment. Deaths have halved since 2005. (Senthilingam, 7/27)
The New York Times:
Whooping Cough Cases Double In Indiana In A Year, Prompting A Call To Vaccinate
The number of whooping cough cases in Indiana has doubled in the past year, state health officials warned on Thursday, urging parents to make sure their children are vaccinated. There were 136 confirmed cases of whooping cough in the state, including one that was fatal, in the first half of 2017 — compared with 66 cases, none of them fatal, in the first half of 2016, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. (Astor, 7/27)
The Associated Press:
In US First, Scientists Edit Genes Of Human Embryos
For the first time in the United States, scientists have edited the genes of human embryos, a controversial step toward someday helping babies avoid inherited diseases. The experiment was just an exercise in science — the embryos were not allowed to develop for more than a few days and were never intended to be implanted into a womb, according to MIT Technology Review, which first reported the news. (7/27)
The Oregonian:
OHSU Scientist Successfully Modifies DNA In Human Embryos, Report Says
An Oregon scientist known for breaking barriers has done it again, successfully modifying DNA in human embryos, according to a report in Technology Review. Shoukhrat Mitalipov of Oregon Health & Science University targeted a gene associated with a human disease, surpassing work done in China, the report said. (Terry, 7/27)
The Associated Press:
Website Helps Women Get Free Birth Control, Rides To Clinics
Be Your Own Baby is not your mother’s birth control website. One of its slogans is “My uterus is a no baby parking zone.” The promotional video resembles a pop star’s music video. And it doesn’t shy away from young women talking about sex. (Newman, 7/27)
Philadelphia Inquirer:
The Doctors ― And Moms ― Who Say Dirt Is Good For Kids
Research on the microbiome — mostly 40 trillion microorganisms of bacterial cells that populate the human body — increasingly backs up what parents like Grebe have known all along in their, well, guts. “The notion that most bacteria, or germs, are intrinsically bad — and must be killed by any means possible — is widespread,” say authors and leading microbiome scientists Jack Gilbert and Rob Knight in their new book Dirt Is Good, written with New York Times science reporter Sandra Blakeslee. (7/30)
The New York Times:
Overweight At 17? Your Colon Cancer Risk Rises
Teenagers who were overweight at 17 were at significantly increased risk for developing colon cancer later in adulthood, and those who were obese were at increased risk for rectal cancer as well, according to a new report. (Rabin, 7/27)
The New York Times:
Good News On Headphones And Hearing Loss
Young people continue to listen to loud music on their headphones. But a reassuring new analysis found that hearing impairment rates among teens have dropped since an alarming spike in hearing loss was reported a decade ago. (Rabin, 7/27)
