Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Public Health Roundup: Gene Editing Targets HIV Infections; Ultrasound Device May Not Speed Up Bone Fracture Healing
Stat: CRISPR Identifies Genes That Might Be Targeted To Hobble HIV Infection
In research published Tuesday in Cell Reports, scientists announced that they had used CRISPR/Cas9 to test gene after gene after gene in human immune system cells — 45 genes in all, sometimes simultaneously and sometimes individually — to identify those that have anything to do with infection by the HIV virus, which causes AIDS when it infiltrates those T cells. For years, scientists have known that mutations in some genes can keep HIV from getting inside T cells (editing genes to create that protective mutation is being tested in a clinical trial). But it never hurts to find more ways to block HIV infection, scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, and the Gladstone Institutes figured. (Begley, 10/25)
Stat: Major Trial Casts Doubt On Leading Device To Heal Bone Fractures
An ultrasound device meant to speed healing of bone fractures is ineffective, according to a new clinical trial — though it has been on the market for 22 years and has rung up hundreds of millions of dollars in sales. The trial at sites in Canada and the United States involved 501 patients who had surgical repair of fractures of the tibia — the larger of two leg bones between the knee and ankle. It found that patients treated with “low-intensity pulsed ultrasound” healed at the same rate as those given a sham treatment. (Their healing was assessed by X-rays and by how quickly they could bear full weight and return to normal activities.) It was by far the largest randomized, controlled clinical study of the technology. (Piller, 10/25)
Los Angeles Times: Too Many Mothers Stop Breastfeeding Too Soon, And Task Force Says Doctors Should Change That
Too many mothers stop breastfeeding their babies too soon, and a panel of experts says doctors, nurses and other health professionals should do more to change that. In light of the “convincing evidence that breastfeeding provides substantial health benefits for children,” primary care providers should discuss breastfeeding with women when they are pregnant, when they are in the hospital to give birth, and after they have gone home with their newborns, according to new guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. (Kaplan, 10/25)
The Washington Post: Heading A Soccer Ball Causes Instant Brain Changes, Study Finds
Routine heading of a soccer ball can cause damage to brain structure and function, according to a new study from the United Kingdom that is the first to detect direct neurological changes by impacts too minor to cause a concussion. The research, published this week in EBioMedicine, studied brain changes among amateur players, ages 19 to 25, who headed machine-projected soccer balls at speeds modeling a typical practice. Though the results seen were temporary, they trigger questions about possible cumulative damage done over time. (Nutt, 10/25)
WBUR: Killer Candy Corn? Society Calculates Lethal Dose Of Halloween Sugar
You may have wondered this in past years as you nauseously contemplated the wreckage of mini-candy-bar wrappers surrounding you: Just how much Halloween candy would it take to make a human not just sugar-sick and riven by remorse but actually dead? Well, the science-is-fun-minded folks at the nonprofit American Chemical Society have done some back-of-the-envelope calculations on a likely lethal dose of trick-or-treat loot. (Goldberg, 10/25)
Miami Herald: Men, Too, Can Get Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is not just a woman’s disease. While 99 percent of breast cancer cases stem from women, about 2,500 men in the United States contract breast cancer every year. And because awareness is scant, men often don’t go to a doctor promptly after discovering something suspicious — such as a lump in the chest area. Indeed, by the time men often seek medical attention, their cases are usually farther along. (Villa, 10/25)
NPR: Lunasin Put To The Test For Lou Gehrig's Disease
Researchers have launched an innovative medical experiment that's designed to provide quick answers while meeting the needs of patients, rather than drug companies. Traditional studies can cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and can take many years. But patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease don't have the time to wait. This progressive muscle-wasting disease is usually fatal within a few years. (Harris, 10/25)
Georgia Health News: The End Of Polio May Finally Be In Sight
In 1988, when the world committed to eradicating polio, there were an estimated 350,000 children disabled, said CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden at the event. So far this year, there have been only 27 diagnosed cases of polio, he said. Some of the current cases are in hard-to-reach areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan, said Reza Hossaini, director of polio eradication with UNICEF. He told the audience, “Polio is almost defeated.” (Kanne, 10/25)
