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Friday, August 4, 2017
[Morning Rounds by Megan Thielking]
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Good morning, and happy Friday! STAT reporter Andrew Joseph here, but never fear, Megan will be back next week. To the news:
Genetics groups recommend germline editing policies
Well that’s good timing. The day after scientists announced<http://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=f4ab379ae7&e=4aad33fd68> they had successfully edited embryos’ genomes to remove a disease-causing mutation, a consortium of 11 genetics groups has released policy recommendations<http://statnews.us11.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=1c4091e29d&e=4aad33fd68> for so-called “germline” editing. The statement, which was issued by groups including the American Society of Human Genetics and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, says that clinicians should not implant an edited embryo into a womb, which is a step no one has taken yet. But the groups also say there’s no reason to withhold public funding for scientific research in which embryos’ genomes are edited — which is at odds with U.S. National Institutes of Health policy.
A different form of gene therapy helps diabetic mice
Researchers have developed an engineered skin graft that helped control diabetes in mice — an approach which they say could possibly work for a range of other diseases. For the study<http://statnews.us11.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=04fea8ff54&e=4aad33fd68>, researchers used CRISPR to edit the genomes of stem cells so that they produced a protein called GLP-1, which helps control blood glucose levels. When they built an organoid-like skin graft out of these cells and transplanted it onto diabetic mice, they found that the graft could help control glucose levels and insulin resistance and kept the mice from gaining weight. And this type of “cutaneous gene therapy” could potentially be used to deliver various types of proteins in mice, and possibly people. Study author Xiaoyang Wu told STAT that the approach might have advantages over traditional gene therapy — for instance, scientists can characterize the modified cells before grafting them onto a patient, making sure the gene was incorporated into the cells' DNA correctly.
No state of emergency for opioids as of now
Some public health circles were abuzz Thursday that President Trump would declare a federal state of emergency related to the opioid crisis during his visit to West Virginia. That, we now know, didn't happen. The event was a political rally, with Trump only briefly alluding to a "a big problem" with drugs in the state and saying his plans for building a wall on the border with Mexico would help curb drug trafficking.
Meanwhile, the country has a new surgeon general. The Senate has confirmed Dr. Jerome Adams, who had been Indiana's health commissioner, to the position.
Inside STAT<http://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=9a01cd0644&e=4aad33fd68>: Dr. Gunter is not here for your quackery
[87396691-e5ca-4560-8a09-e04a5b7a5bdb.png]
What an odd-looking dog. (Elizabeth D. Herman for STAT)
Dr. Jennifer Gunter is Internet-famous for dismantling false health claims, including many from Gwyneth Paltrow and her lifestyle brand Goop. But Gunter, a Bay Area gynecologist, regularly dives into more controversial subjects, from abortion to using fetal tissue in research, and is not afraid to speak her mind, much to the fury of her critics. Gunter is also frank about her own experiences, including her struggles with binge eating disorder and losing one of her triplets when she went into labor at 23 weeks. STAT’s Meghana Keshavan has more about Gunter and her careers, both as a physician and blogger, in this profile<http://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=959fb85d7e&e=4aad33fd68>.
UW fires microbiologist after harassment investigations
The University of Washington has fired microbiologist Michael Katze after it found he sexually harassed other employees, BuzzFeed reports<http://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=583d6d0412&e=4aad33fd68>. The firing comes after years of complaints about Katze and two investigations<http://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=07221ae2c1&e=4aad33fd68> by the school. It’s the first time the university has ever terminated a tenured professor. Katze’s work extended from studying AIDS vaccines to the threats posed by Ebola.
How TB spread: Through a lung transplant
In a fascinating new case study<http://statnews.us11.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=303bc647be&e=4aad33fd68>, California public health officials describe how an outbreak of tuberculosis occurred in 2015, including a suspected case of transmission via a lung transplant. The study notes that the case “illustrates some limitations in determining the TB status of organ donors” and provides recommendations for how to respond if health officials suspect a case of donor-derived transmission. One suggestion: review the donor's medical records from high-risk environments, such as correctional facilities.
Dengue virus, the frequent flier
Air travel is driving the spread of dengue virus in new places around the world, according to a study<http://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=4541a5664f&e=4aad33fd68> in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. Researchers studying the spread of dengue found that air traffic hubs in Thailand and India have helped dengue hop to new places and increase the incidence of cases, which has grown 30-fold globally over the past 50 years. The study is the latest to show how a more interconnected world poses risks for the spread of infectious diseases.
What to read around the web today
* What's taking so long with male birth control? Bloomberg<http://statnews.us11.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=ad9c8a9fda&e=4aad33fd68>
* Advice from mothers who almost died in childbirth. ProPublica/NPR<http://statnews.us11.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=6be9bc6ea4&e=4aad33fd68>
* In Maine, you'll have to be 21 to buy cigarettes. Press Herald<http://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=18bb1cfe4f&e=4aad33fd68>
More reads from STAT
* Ebola scare shows the world isn't ready<http://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=9940fe7d8c&e=4aad33fd68> for major disease outbreak
* Meet the plastic surgeon who moonlights<http://statnews.us11.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=de756b62ff&e=4aad33fd68> as an animal doctor
* Senate approves key FDA legislation<http://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=b4435d1173&e=4aad33fd68>, sending bill to Trump
The latest from STAT Plus
* Hospitals brace for security risks<http://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=69a2527a4b&e=4aad33fd68> with wearables
* Senate approves 'right to try' legislation<http://statnews.us11.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=2d7fd08c6b&e=4aad33fd68>, giving states more leeway
* Is pharma hiding 'dark money'<http://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=c55ffd44ac&e=4aad33fd68> in fight over Ohio drug price measure?
Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!
[Megan]
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