Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Human Embryo Research After 14 Days May Be Allowed In Rule Change
AP: Change May Allow Scientists To Grow Human Embryos Longer
New guidelines released Wednesday remove a decades-old barrier to stem cell research, recommending that researchers be allowed to grow human embryos longer under limited conditions. The “14-day rule,” an international ethical standard that limits laboratory studies of human embryos, has been in place for decades and has been written into law in countries including Britain and Australia. Scientists previously have been required to destroy human embryos grown in a lab before they reach 14 days. Some researchers have favored revising the rule to further study the development process while opponents say such experiments at any stage cross a moral boundary and it’s unclear the change would advance research. (Cheng, 5/26)
Stat: Panel Loosens Rule On How Long Human Embryos Can Be Grown In Lab
An influential scientific panel cracked open the door on Wednesday to growing human embryos in the lab for longer periods of time than currently allowed, a step that could enable the plumbing of developmental mysteries but that also raises thorny questions about whether research that can be pursued should be. For decades, scientists around the world have followed the “14-day rule,” which stipulates that they should let human embryos develop in the lab for only up to two weeks after fertilization. (Joseph, 5/26)
In other medical research news —
Stat: More Leading Universities Are Reporting Clinical Trial Results
Over the past two years, many major U.S. universities have done a better job of registering clinical trials and reporting results to a federal database, a sign that demands for greater transparency are starting to have an effect on study sponsors, according to a new analysis. Specifically, the percentage of unreported trials that were sponsored by 40 universities fell to 7% this past February from 30% in March 2019. And 17 institutions were fully compliant with reporting requirements under federal law, up from 13 two years ago. At the same time, the number of studies that were registered with ClinicalTrials.gov more than tripled to 1,500 from nearly 450 in early 2019. (Silverman, 5/26)
Stat: From Two Unusual Organ Donations, A Trove Of Single-Cell Gene Data
Late at night, in a California hospital, a brain-dead patient was being prepared to offer the ultimate gift. That May evening in 2019, she would be taken off her ventilator, and many of her organs and tissues — everything from the bladder to the lungs to muscle — would be donated to a unique project led by the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub. (Molteni and Palmer, 5/27)
CIDRAP: Four Weeks Of Antibiotics For Kids' Chronic Cough No Better Than 2, Study Finds
The results of a small clinical trial in Australia indicate that a 4-week course of antibiotics for children with a chronic wet cough offers little advantage over 2 weeks, but some children may benefit from a longer course, Australian investigators reported yesterday in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. The double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at four Australian hospitals among children ages 2 months to 19 years of age who had a wet cough lasting more than 4 weeks and were suspected of having protracted bacterial bronchitis (PBB). Current US and European guidance for treatment of chronic wet cough with suspected PBB is 2 weeks of amoxicillin-clavulanate, extending to 4 weeks if the cough doesn't resolve, but there is some uncertainty about optimal treatment. The British Thoracic Society, for example, recommends 4 to 6 weeks. (Dall, 5/26)
Rome News-Tribune: Isakson To Help Raise Funds For Neurocognitive Diseases Research
Former U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson launched a nonprofit organization Wednesday to raise awareness and funding for neurocognitive diseases including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and related dementia. Isakson, R-Ga., announced his diagnosis with Parkinson’s in 2015 and retired from Congress at the end of 2019, midway through his third term in the Senate. (Williams, 5/26)
Axios: Clear Labs' Plan To Use Genomic Sequencing To Track COVID Variants
Clear Labs, a California-based startup that provides rapid genetic sequencing for pathogen surveillance, will announce a new $60 million funding round this morning. Clear Labs' whole genome sequencing can identify the unique genetic code of a pathogen within 24 hours, allowing hospitals or public health agencies to track unusual variants in diseases like COVID-19 as well as food safety threats like salmonella. (Walsh, 5/26)
