Author: Lauran Neergaard
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US clears first ‘living drug’ for tough childhood leukemia
WASHINGTON — Opening a new era in cancer care, the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved the first treatment that genetically engineers patients’ own blood cells into an army of assassins to seek and destroy childhood leukemia. The CAR-T cell treatment developed by Novartis and the University of Pennsylvania is the first type of…
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McCain’s brain tumor is particularly aggressive type
WASHINGTON — Sen. John McCain’s tumor is one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer, and his family and doctors are deliberating next treatment options. The senator had undergone surgery last week to have a blood clot removed from above his left eye, and that clot turned out to be a sign that a…
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Hope for preemies as artificial womb helps tiny lambs grow
WASHINGTON — Researchers are creating an artificial womb to improve care for extremely premature babies — and remarkable animal testing suggests the first-of-its-kind watery incubation so closely mimics mom that it just might work. Today, premature infants weighing as little as a pound are hooked to ventilators and other machines inside incubators. Children’s Hospital of…
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New advice: Peanuts in baby’s diet can prevent scary allergy
WASHINGTON — New parents, get ready to feed your babies peanut-containing foods — starting young lowers their chances of becoming allergic. The National Institutes of Health issued new guidelines Thursday saying most babies should regularly eat those foods starting around 6 months of age, some as early as 4 months. It’s a major shift in…
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Artificial hand helps amputees feel just how hard to squeeze
WASHINGTON — A next-generation artificial hand is letting two amputees tell the difference between a soft or firm touch — like holding a child without squeezing too tightly. It’s another step toward developing prosthetics that can feel. Implanted electrodes allowed the men to feel the same intensity of pressure in the artificial hand as they…
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Paralyzed man feels touch through mind-controlled robot hand
WASHINGTON — A paralyzed man is regaining a sense of touch while using a mind-controlled robotic hand, feeling subtle pressure in his own fingers when the artificial ones are touched. The experiment reported Thursday is an early step in the quest to create prosthetics that can feel. How it works: Tiny chips implanted in Nathan…
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Up to 1 in 5 trauma deaths could be prevented, study says
WASHINGTON — Up to 1 in 5 people may be dying unnecessarily from car crashes, gunshots or other injuries, a stark conclusion from government advisers who say where you live shouldn’t determine if you survive. The findings take on new urgency amid the increasing threat of mass casualties like the massacre in Orlando. The Orlando…
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1st US penis transplant could bring hope to maimed soldiers
BOSTON — A 64-year-old cancer patient has received the nation’s first penis transplant, a groundbreaking operation that may also help accident victims and some of the many U.S. veterans maimed by roadside bombs. In a case that represents the latest frontier in the growing field of reconstructive transplants, Thomas Manning of Halifax, Massachusetts, is faring…
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Boom in gene-editing studies amid ethics debate over its use
WASHINGTON – The hottest tool in biology has scientists using words like revolutionary as they describe the long-term potential: wiping out certain mosquitoes that carry malaria, treating genetic diseases like sickle cell, preventing babies from inheriting a life-threatening disorder. It may sound like sci-fi, but research into genome editing is booming. So is a debate…
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Researchers using math to whittle away at jet lag
Lots of apps claim they can help you fight jet lag. Now Michigan researchers say mathematical formulas suggest it’s possible to adjust to new time zones a bit faster than previously thought, and they created their own free app to help. Doctors have long said exposure to light is key. But how much, and when?…