Though dissenting opinions on the appropriateness of a person’s complete, public
genome are widespread in response to PGP’s approach, the 10 volunteers’ full
genomes are far from being completely sequenced: the privately-funded project is
focusing on only a handful of genes that seem to have the most influence over
disease, behavior, and physical traits. …
Using valproic acid, a chemical often used as a medication to treat seizure
disorders, the scientists loosened the chromatin—the packaging of the cellular
chromosome—making it easier to alter the cell’s DNA to transform ordinary human
skin cells into more powerful induced pluripotent cells, or iPS cells. …
The Institute took its stats from the FDA’s adverse events reporting system,
which can be problematic for a couple of reasons. One, adverse events often go
unreported, so the numbers can understate the problem. But–and this is the
second reason–the individual reports don’t prove that the drug caused the
problem. …
In the long term, Kornfeld’s goal is to identify compounds that could
potentially delay human aging. …
They said they used placebo treatments several times a month, and usually
described the pill or injection as “a potentially beneficial medicine not
typically used for your condition.” …
the system is able to sequence parts of the genome that contain many repeated
letters, which are virtually impossible to read now. By next year, the company
hopes to be selling sequencing machines. …
Eleven states that were not part of the initial 32-state probe have also filed
lawsuits over the atypical antipsychotic medication, which the company launched
in 1996. …
scientists in the company and collaborators in the US and Canada found that the
drug was transported rapidly across the blood-brain barrier and into the
functional part of the brain, the parenchyma. …
There’s nothing more sacred than the physician-patient relationship, and we
physicians have the responsibility to make sure nothing gets in the way of that
relationship–or even appears to get in the way.” …
the FDA warned that it would probably start missing deadlines because of a
staffing crunch. And observers have commented that the agency seems to be
hesitant at the approval trigger, perhaps because it’s gun-shy after a variety
of high-profile drug safety problems. …