As Pressure Mounts To Seek Alternatives To Fetal Tissue Research, Some Scientists Defend Current Practices

Stat: There Aren’t Any Good Alternatives To Fetal Tissue Research, Scientists Warn
At an NIH meeting Thursday, Director Francis Collins said that research into alternatives is “scientifically, highly justified,” but also defended the value of fetal tissue research, saying, “There is strong evidence that scientific benefits can come from fetal tissue research, which can be done with an ethical framework.” As part of the Trump administration audit, NIH in September froze the acquisition of new fetal tissue purchases. That has already upset research at an HIV lab in Montana and may soon hamper work in groups studying cancer and eye disease. (Swetlitz, 12/17)

Stat: 'CRISPR Babies' Scientist He Jiankui Rose From Obscurity To Stun The World
In the three weeks since the remarkable announcement about Nana and Lulu, STAT has pieced together the story of the years leading up to that fateful Monday. With details reported for the first time, it describes the many times He [Jiankui] met with and spoke before some of the world’s leading genome-editing experts, the low opinion they had of his research, and the hints he dropped about his grandiose aspirations. It is based on interviews in Hong Kong and with experts on four continents, with scientists and others who have crossed paths with He, as well as on documents and published accounts. He did not reply to requests for an interview. (Begley and Joseph, 12/17)

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Homelessness Edges Higher Again After Seven Years Of Declines
Homelessness nudged higher in 2018 for the second consecutive year, as cities struggled to get people off the streets even as many ramped up building and poured millions of dollars into potential solutions. The increase was slight—just 0.3%, according to an annual report to Congress by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to be released Monday. But after seven years of declines, the small rises over the past two years are a troubling reversal at a time when unemployment is at a near 50-year-low and wages are rising. (Kusisto and Malas, 12/17)

The New York Times: Scant Evidence Behind The Advice About Salt
Despite a number of studies questioning the usefulness of very low-salt diets in the last few years, most major medical organizations continue to recommend them. We would assume that they do so from a strong base of evidence. But with respect to heart failure, there is a shockingly small amount of evidence. (Carroll, 12/17)

The Washington Post: Palliative Care May Save Money And Ease Suffering
Gordon Surber and Mark Hailey have the same terminal lung disease. Brothers-in-law, they live next door to one another on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation in rural Northern California. But they live in different worlds when it comes to health care. Not so long ago, Surber, 57, was a robust man who loved fishing on the Trinity River, racing motocross and feeling his strength return each season when he went back to work in the woods as a logger. Now he can’t lift his baby granddaughter or walk more than a few steps without his oxygen tank. (Underwood, 12/15)

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Babies, Toddlers At Greater Risk From Second-Hand Smoke Than Previously Thought, Penn State Study Finds
Infants and toddlers in low-income communities may be even more at risk from second- and third-hand smoke exposure than has been believed, according to new federally supported research. In testing that included over 1,200 children, researchers found that up to 15 percent of them had levels of cotinine, a byproduct of the body’s breakdown of nicotine, comparable to what would be found in an adult smoker. (Giordano, 12/14)

The Washington Post: These Bats Carry The Lethal Marburg Virus, And Scientists Are Tracking Them To Try To Stop Its Spread
By day, some of the most dangerous animals in the world lurk deep inside this cave. Come night, the tiny fruit bats whoosh out, tens of thousands of them at a time, filling the air with their high-pitched chirping before disappearing into the black sky. The bats carry the deadly Marburg virus, as fearsome and mysterious as its cousin Ebola. Scientists know that the virus starts in these animals, and they know that when it spreads to humans it is lethal — Marburg kills up to 9 in 10 of its victims, sometimes within a week. But they don’t know much about what happens in between. (Sun, 12/13)

The Associated Press: Congo Says Baby Girl Is Youngest Survivor Of Ebola Outbreak
Congo’s Health Ministry says a newborn baby called Benedicte is the youngest survivor of what is now the world’s second-deadliest Ebola outbreak. The ministry posted a photograph of the infant on Twitter this past week showing her surrounded by caregivers who had watched over her 24 hours a day for weeks. (12/16)

Boston Globe: After Suicides In Acton And Boxborough, A Communion Of Sorrow
There seems no straight line between that pressure and these suicides; no easy way to understand or to respond. Loss by suicide is like no other, and the succession of deaths has left a void at the heart of the two towns, as if they were struck by a meteor. The aftershocks of numbing sadness, pulsing outward in every direction, have spared almost no one. (Arsenault, 12/16)

The Washington Post: A Human Heart Was Left On A Plane, Revealing How Organs Move Around The Country
A human heart left on a commercial airliner provides a glimpse into the nation’s transplant system, which relies on an obscure network of nonprofit organizations to collect and transport human organs and tissue. The heart traveled in the cargo compartment of a Southwest Airlines flight from Sacramento to Seattle on Sunday. It was supposed to be picked up in Seattle but remained on the plane when the aircraft left for Dallas. There are conflicting accounts of what went wrong, and an investigation is underway. (Kindy and Bernstein, 12/14)

The Washington Post: A Fitness Fanatic Runs Into An Alarming Ailment That Was Caught In The Nick Of Time
Barry Goldsmith went to great lengths to stay out of the doctor’s office. His belief in the power of exercise — particularly running — to keep him fit and healthy had long been an article of faith. If he wasn’t feeling well Goldsmith would lace up his shoes and “run it off.” The Maryland patent lawyer routinely racked up about 30 miles per week — more when he was training for a marathon or triathlon — interspersed with swimming, cycling and weight training. (Boodman, 12/15)