Major stem cell trial for MS patients to begin
A major clinical trial will investigate whether stem cells can be safely used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS).
BBC News: 29 July 2011
Website of Dr Paolo A Muraro, Imperial College, London – scientist leading the research
Artificial intelligence from DNA
US researchers have made an artificial neural network – the beginnings of a brain – from DNA molecules.
Discovery News: 27 July 2011
A nano-sized transporter to treat disease
Scientists have designed a nanoparticle consisting of RNA and lipid that is able to transport to specific cells and silence damaging genes.
Science Daily, July 26 2011
Nano sunscreen warnings won’t be mandatory
The Australian Government is set to disappoint consumers who are worried about the use of nanotechnology in sunscreens by not opting for mandatory labelling.
ABC 774: 20 July 2011
Peddling hope. More on stem cell tourism
By Jason Major
TechNyou
The publication, Stanford Medicine, has waded further into the issue of stem cell tourism and the rights of people to cough up their hard-earned cash for unproven treatments. The article points out that many people contemplating such treatment are frustrated at the perceived lack of medical progress in established medicine and that they think the regulators and governments don’t want them to get better. I have come across similar comments related blogs and commentary. It is a hard argument to have with someone who has tried everything and this is there last hope.
I definitely don’t condone for one moment that such clinics should be allowed to operate, but I wonder if this unrestricted, unethical approach to stem cell might make that serendipitous advance in stem cell knowledge that would take forever to occur under our more regulated system. Yes, this might sound like the Nazi approach to medical experimentation during World War 2, but the big difference this time around is that people are having this treatment of their own free will.
The obvious problem here is, the way these clinics are run at the moment you would never know if that serendipitous leap in knowledge was made because as far as I am aware there is little, if any, rigorous and controlled science going on with the stem cell treatments so if there was some improvement, you could never tell if it was genuine or even linked to the stem cell treatment.
A speculative thought or just naive?
Because these clinics appear hard to shut down and preventing people going to these clinics is impractical and probably has some sort of ethical implications re: people’s freedom to choose, would it be possible to somehow get these clinics to do what they do in a more scientifically robust way so if by some miracle there is some benefit from a treatment it will be found and be able to be recognised as genuine. It could then be judged by their scientific peers and potentially add to the body of evidence-based knowledge on stem cells. This way something useful might come from these clinics. Or am I being naive?
More stuff on stem cell tourism
Bionic eye hope from a touch of light
In a new approach to restoring sight, Australian researchers are focusing on gold nanoparticles and laser light.
Swinburne University of Technology Magazine: July Issue
Cancer cells, stem cells share same origin
US scientists converted human skin cells into brain cells by suppressing the expression of a protein encoded by cancer-causing gene.
Keck School of Medicine USC: 18 July 2011
Helping teachers teach new technologies
TechNyou’s new online science resource will help science teachers bring the latest and most exciting developments in emerging technologies to the classroom.
TechNyou Science Education resource website
Your Omega-3s to be sourced from plants, not fish
Australia has embarked on a $50 million scientific collaboration to develop vegetable oil containing omega-3 oil usually sourced from fish.
Ecos (via Science Alert): 18 July 2011
Image: travel-destination-pictures.com
Artificial molecules build light antenna
In an advance for solar energy, DNA and quantum dots have been used to engineer nanomaterials that control energy absorbed from light.