Pharmaceutical Industry Scrambles to Fast-Track Drugs
"Breakthrough therapy" status is much sought after, but there is confusion about its definition and impact
Stories by Heidi Ledford
Stem Cells Created in Living Mice
Cells can be regenerated in their natural environment, without making a pit stop in a Petri dish
Climate Change Threatens Crunchy, Tart Apples
Warmer temperatures mean varieties such as Fuji apples are softer and sweeter than they were 40 years ago
Gastric Bypass Makes Gut Burn Sugar Faster
Diabetic rats were found to control blood glucose better after undergoing the weight-loss surgery
Nerve Growth Stimulates Prostate Cancer
Dense arrangements of nerves in and around tumors seems to make the cancer more aggressive in mice
Plants Perform Molecular Mathematics
Arithmetic division guides plants' use of energy at night
Supreme Court Set to Hear Arguments on Whether Human Genes Can Be Patented
As the justices prepare to hear arguments in the Myriad Genetics case, observers are debating the impact of the outcome on personalized medicine and whole-genome sequencing
Genetically Engineered Immune Cells Found to Rapidly Clear Leukemia Tumors
The new therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a swift-growing cancer that tends to kill more than 60 percent of those afflicted, involves extracting T cells and modifying them to home in on and destroy B cells in healthy and cancerous tissue...
Red Wine's Link to Health Gains Support
New evidence suggests the mechanism of action for a red wine compound that some say is linked to a longer life span. Resveratrol acts directly on a protein that has been linked to cell metabolism and inflammatory diseases...
Doubts Emerge on the Value of Very Low Cholesterol Levels
Revised guidelines for heart health are set to move away from target-based approach
FDA Approves Recombinant Flu Vaccine
The agency's approval of the first seasonal flu vaccine made of recombinant proteins rather than inactivated or weakened virus comes as emergency rooms are clogged with victims of an early and severe flu season...
U.S. Fiscal Deal Leaves Science Vulnerable
Congress's decision on January 1 to delay mandatory cuts to agencies, including the NIH and NSF, means administrators must still plan for possible plunges in funding for medical schools and other campuses...
FDA Under Pressure to Relax Drug Rules
The drug industry says the antibiotic pipeline is blocked by overly stringent clinical-trial requirements for new treatments
Call to Censor Bird Flu Studies Draws Fire
Critics say controversy over publication of mutant-H5N1 research highlights biosecurity weaknesses
