Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
As Minibrain Research Continues To Progress, Scientists Begin To Wade Through Ethical Complexities
NPR: As Minibrains Get Larger, So Do Bioethical Quandaries
Bits of human brain tissue no larger than a pea are forcing scientists to think about questions as large as the nature of consciousness. These clusters of living brain cells are popularly known as minibrains, though scientists prefer to call them cerebral organoids. At the moment, they remain extremely rudimentary versions of an actual human brain and are used primarily to study brain development and disorders like autism. (Hamilton, 4/25)
Los Angeles Times: Scientists Have A Promising New Approach For Treating Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis
In research that promises a new approach to treating an age-old human scourge, scientists have found a way to weaken the bacterium that causes tuberculosis and boost its vulnerability to drugs that are rapidly losing their power to cure. A study published Wednesday in the journal Science and Translational Medicine outlines a new assault against TB by a team led by researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. (Healy, 4/25)
ProPublica: The $3 Million Research Breakdown
For nearly two decades, the University of Illinois at Chicago has touted child psychiatrist Mani Pavuluri as one of its stars: She founded a renowned clinic to treat children with bipolar disorder and secured millions of dollars in coveted federal funding to help unlock the mysteries of the disease. ...In December, the university quietly paid a severe penalty for Pavuluri’s misconduct and its own lax oversight, after the National Institute of Mental Health demanded weeks earlier that the public institution — which has struggled with declining state funding — repay all $3.1 million it had received for Pavuluri’s study. (Cohen, 4/26)
The Wall Street Journal: Prophylactic Antibiotic Use Could Reduce Childhood Death Rate
Researchers have identified a low-cost medication that they say could protect millions of young children in poor nations from dying of pneumonia, malaria and other preventable diseases. But they and other experts acknowledge they will have to decide carefully how best to deploy the new tool—an antibiotic widely prescribed in the U.S. for bacterial infections—because heavy use could fuel antibiotic resistance. Taking antibiotics at a young age may also increase the risk of other health problems later on, some experts say. (McKay, 4/25)
Stat: Shoebox-Sized Lab Can Diagnose Infectious Diseases From A Drop Of Blood
Researchers from the University of Toronto have created a shoebox-sized laboratory that can do blood testing in remote, low-resource settings, quickly determining from a drop of blood whether a person has antibodies to specific infectious diseases. The device, which they called the MR Box — short for measles and rubella, the first diseases for which they tested — is still being fine-tuned. But their hope is that eventually it could be used to test for a variety of diseases, for both outbreak control and research purposes, in parts of the world where conventional lab support is hours — or farther — away, the scientists reported Wednesday. (Branswell, 4/25)
The New York Times: How Strenuous Exercise Affects Our Immune System
If you have ever run a marathon, you know that the effort can cause elation, exhaustion, achy legs, blackened toenails and an overwhelming urge to eat. But it is unlikely to have made you vulnerable to colds or other illnesses afterward, according to a myth-busting new review of the latest science about immunity and endurance exercise. The review concludes that, contrary to widespread belief, a long, tiring workout or race can amplify immune responses, not suppress them. (Reynolds, 4/25)
The Wall Street Journal: Hit-And-Run Fatalities Soar As More People Bike To Work
Hit-and-run crash deaths are rising nationwide, and pedestrians and bicyclists account for close to 70% of the victims, according to a new report, as more people cycle to work and motor-vehicle fatalities are at a near-decade-high level. The number of hit-and-run fatalities jumped 61% from 2009 to 2016, the most recent year for which data are available, according to the report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. (Calvert, 4/26)
Health News Florida: Do Concussions Cause Parkinson’s? One Study Thinks So
A study of veterans’ medical records over the past decade, found those with traumatic brain injuries had a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s Disease. But Florida Hospital’s Anthony LoGalbo cautions that more studies at the molecular level are needed before TBIs can be proven to be a direct cause. (Prieur, 4/25)
The New York Times: There’s No Smoking In Disney Films. What About When It Owns Fox?
Add cigarettes to the list of things that the family-friendly Walt Disney Company has to figure out as it prepares to integrate the sharper-edged 20th Century Fox movie and television studio. Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chief executive, announced at a shareholder meeting in 2015 that Walt Disney Studios would “prohibit smoking in movies across the board: Marvel, Lucas, Pixar and Disney films.” He said the policy, which put Disney at the forefront of antismoking efforts in Hollywood, “was the right thing for us to do.” The decision brought cheers from activists concerned about the power of movies to promote tobacco use. (Barnes, 4/25)
The Associated Press: Genetic Sleuthing Bolsters Food Poisoning Searches
Disease hunters are using genetic sequencing in their investigation of the ongoing food poisoning outbreak linked to romaine lettuce, a technique that is revolutionizing the detection of germs in food. The genetic analysis is being used to bolster investigations and — in some cases — connect the dots between what were once seemingly unrelated illnesses. It also is uncovering previously unfathomed sources of food poisoning, including one outbreak from apples dipped in caramel. (4/26)
