Biomedical Tattoos Hold Possibility Of Alerting Patients To Early Signs Of Cancer
Scientists have figured out a way to make cells turn dark like a tattoo when calcium levels in the blood is too high. In other public health news: gene therapy, concussions, categorizing sounds, homeopathic remedies, and autism.
Stat:
Scientists Create A Biomedical Tattoo To Monitor For A Sign Of Cancer
Scientists have designed a biomedical tattoo that changes color when calcium in the blood is too high — a tool that they say could one day be used to monitor for the earliest signs of disease. Some types of cancer increase the amount of calcium in the blood before symptoms appear. So researchers engineered cells that turn dark like a tattoo when calcium is too high. They published a proof-of-concept paper on the work Wednesday in Science Translational Medicine. (Thielking, 4/18)
The Wall Street Journal:
Gene Therapy Shows Promise In Patients With A Blood Disorder
Researchers have used an experimental gene therapy developed by biotech company bluebird bio Inc. to reduce the number of blood transfusions needed in 22 people with beta-thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder. The results are another sign of the promise of gene therapy, which aims to deliver beneficial genes to patients’ cells to replace defective ones. (Toy, 4/19)
NPR:
Beta-Thalassemia Treatment With Gene Therapy Reduced Transfusions
"We're extraordinarily excited about these early results," says Alexis Thompson, a professor of pediatrics at the Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, who helped with the study released Wednesday. "For the first time ever, we have a treatment that we might offer to all our patients," says Mark Walters of the University of California, San Francisco, who also helped conduct the study. (Stein, 4/18)
The New York Times:
Concussions May Increase The Risk For Parkinson’s Disease
A traumatic brain injury, even a mild concussion, increases the risk for Parkinson’s disease, a new study reports. Researchers identified all patients diagnosed with T.B.I. in a Veterans Health Administration database — 162,935 men and women — and matched them with the same number of people with similar health and behavioral characteristics but who had not had a brain injury. The study is in Neurology. (Bakalar, 4/18)
NPR:
Of Monkey Calls And Human Sound Processing
The words "dog" and "fog" sound pretty similar. Yet even a preschooler knows whether you're talking about a puppy or the weather. Now scientists at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C., have identified a two-step process that helps our brains learn to first recognize, then categorize new sounds even when the differences are subtle. And it turns out the process is very similar to the way the human brain categorizes visual information, the Georgetown team reports Wednesday in the journal Neuron. (Hamilton, 4/18)
The Washington Post:
Homeopath Treated 4-Year-Old's Behavior Problems With Saliva From Rabid Dog
A Canadian naturopath claims she treated a 4-year-old boy's behavioral problems with a controversial homeopathic remedy — this is, saliva from a rabid dog. The recent claims have caused concern in the medical community and prompted questions about why the saliva — known as lyssinum, lyssin or hydrophobinum — has been approved by the Canadian government as a legitimate homeopathic product. (Bever, 4/18)
Chicago Sun Times:
Researchers Look To Chicago Families To Help Trace The Roots Of Autism
Chicago researchers are spearheading efforts to find the complex biological underpinnings of autism — a brain disorder that affects one in 68 American children. The work, aimed at developing drugs and other targeted, personalized treatments, is underway at the same time as World Autism Month (April) boosts awareness of the challenges faced by people on the autism spectrum. (Guy, 4/18)
