Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Scientists Find Bacterial Correlation With Aggressive Prostate Cancer
Press Association: Aggressive Prostate Cancer Linked To Five Types Of Bacteria In Study
Researchers have identified five types of bacteria that are linked to aggressive prostate cancer. The bacteria was common in urine and tissue samples from men with the condition, a new study found. It is hoped the findings could help pave the way for treatments that could target this bacteria and slow or prevent the development of aggressive disease. Scientists do not yet know how people pick up the bacteria, or whether they are causing the disease. Project lead Professor Colin Cooper from the University of East Anglia's (UEA) Norwich Medical School, said: "We already know of some strong associations between infections and cancer. (Massey, 4/20)
In news about Alzheimer's disease —
The Boston Globe: Brigham, Children’s Hospital Researchers Find Increased Mutations In Alzheimer’s Patient Brain Cells
Alzheimer’s disease patients had a greater number of mutations in their brain cells than people who were normally aging, a new study by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital found. “We know these mutations increase with age. Now we’ve found that with Alzheimer’s disease, there’s even more of them,” said one of the lead authors, Dr. Michael B. Miller of the Department of Pathology at the Brigham. The study was published Wednesday in the journal Nature. Miller said neurons in the brain die in Alzheimer’s disease and the new findings “help us better understand ways in which the cells might be dying.” (Finucane, 4/20)
In pediatric health news —
San Francisco Chronicle: EPA Must Reconsider Approval Of Pet Flea-Collar Pesticide, S.F.-Based Appeals Court Orders
A federal appeals court on Wednesday ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider its approval of a widely used flea-collar pesticide known as TCVP, saying the agency ignored evidence of potential neurological dangers to children. Tetrachlorvinphos, developed from nerve warfare chemicals used in World War II, was approved by the EPA in 2006 to protect dogs and cats from fleas and ticks. It was challenged in 2009 by the Natural Resources Defense Council, which said it posed particular dangers to children who touched their pets and then put their hands in their mouths. The group cited evidence that TCVP can affect youngsters’ neurological development and cause mental, physical and behavioral problems. (Egelko, 4/20)
ABC News: FDA Issues Warning About False Results With Prenatal Genetic Screening Tests
Common prenatal tests done to test for genetic abnormalities are the subject of a new warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA issued a notice Tuesday warning people about the risk of "false results, inappropriate use and inappropriate interpretation of results" from non-invasive prenatal screening tests, also called non-invasive prenatal tests and cell-free DNA tests. (Kindelan, 4/20)
ABC News: Baby Born At 23 Weeks Gets Special Surgery To Fix Incomplete Esophagus
A 1-year-old girl is back at home in Nebraska after receiving life-saving treatment in Colorado, including a surgery with magnets that helped connect a large gap in her esophagus. Harper and her fraternal twin sister, Gabriella, were born prematurely on Feb. 22, 2021, at 23 weeks. The newborns were delivered by emergency cesarean section at Box Butte General Hospital in Alliance, Nebraska, and were immediately flown to Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children in Denver, about 250 miles southwest, for treatment. (Yu, 4/21)
