Biological Agents & Infectious Diseases
Avian Flu Scan for Mar 28, 2017 (
CIDRAP) The WHO recently fleshed out the details of two H5N1 avian flu cases, one of them fatal, reported from Egypt in late February. News of the human illnesses were first noted in a pair of notifications to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, which had little information about the cases. The WHO shared more complete information in its monthly update on flu at the human-animal interface.
Go to article
Malaria Parasites 'Walk Through Walls' to Infect Humans (
Science Daily) Researchers have identified proteins that enable deadly malaria parasites to 'walk through cell walls' -- a superpower that was revealed using the Institute's first insectary to grow human malaria parasites. The research has identified two parasite proteins that are the key to this superpower. The proteins could be targeted to develop much-needed antimalarial drugs or vaccines.
Go to article
Global Health Security
Carter Center Awarded $800,000 Grant for Blinding Trachoma Elimination in Mali, Niger (
Outbreak News Today) The OPEC Fund for International Development has awarded The Carter Center a grant of US$800,000 to help support an initiative to eliminate blinding trachoma in Mali and Niger. Former US President Jimmy Carter; Ambassador (ret.) Mary Ann Peters, the Center's CEO; and Dr. Walid Mehalaine, head of OFID's Grants and Technical Assistance Unit, gathered Friday, March 24, for a signing ceremony at The Carter Center in Atlanta. Dr. Mehalaine represented Mr. Suleiman Al-Herbish, Director-General of OFID.
Go to article
CDC's Division of Global Health Protection Aims to Improve Global Health Security, Protect Americans from Public Health Threats (
Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation) CDC's "Our Global Voices": Tick, tock, tick tock - While others sleep, what are CDC experts doing to keep America safe? Kashef Ijaz, acting director for CDC's Division of Global Health Protection, discusses the division's efforts to improve global health security and protect Americans from public health threats, writing, "DGHP serves as a leading implementer with support and collaboration of subject matter experts across CDC for the agency's efforts to broaden, sustain, and strengthen the Global Health Security Agenda.
Go to article
Government Affairs and National Security
FDA, USDA and CDC Map Out 5-year Foodborne Illness Plan (
Food Safety Magazine) Last week, a new Strategic Plan for 2017-2021 was unveiled by The Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration--a partnership that consists of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US Food and Drug Administration, and the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Go to article
America's Hidden Role in Chinese Weapons Research (
South China Morning Post) China's efforts to lure its scientists back from overseas institutions have been paying off militarily, with more than a little help from the US. Military projects they have been involved in include China's development of hypersonic weapons capable of penetrating missile-defence systems and the design of new submarines able to patrol quietly along the US west coast, researchers familiar with the programmes told the
South China Morning Post.
Go to article
FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs Realignment to Begin in May (
Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society) The US Food and Drug Administration's Office of Regulatory Affairs, which carries out the agency's inspection program, will officially begin a major overhaul in the coming weeks, according to FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health Director Jeffrey Shuren.
Go to article
Medicine and Public Health
Science and Technology
CRISPR Therapeutics Announces European Patent for CRISPR/Cas Gene Editing
(
Globe Newswire) CRISPR Therapeutics reported that the European Patent Office has announced its intention to grant a patent broadly covering CRISPR's in-licensed gene editing technology. The claims are directed to the CRISPR/Cas9 single-guide gene editing system for uses in both non-cellular and cellular settings, including in cells from vertebrate animals such as human or mammalian cells - as well as composition claims for use in any setting, including claims for use in a method of therapeutic treatment of a patient.
Go to article
Scientists Build a Menstrual Biochip That Does Everything but Bleed (
Wired) Most scientists don't get to work in a field of their own creation. But Teresa Woodruff is not most scientists. The Northwestern University reproductive biologist coined the term "oncofertility" over a decade ago, when she began helping young cancer patients preserve their ability to become biological parents even after chemotherapy and radiation.
Go to article
Blueprint for Transparency at the US Food and Drug Administration (
Journal of Law, Medicine, & Ethics) The US Food & Drug Administration stands apart among the world's regulatory agencies for the depth of its expertise and analysis about medical products. However, much of this knowledge and information about the regulatory process stay within FDA's walls, as a result of policies and regulations that have for many years broadly defined what is considered "confidential."
Go to article
An Evidence Framework for Genetic Testing (
National Academies of Sciences Engineering Medicine) Advances in genetics and genomics are transforming medical practice, resulting in a dramatic growth of genetic testing in the health care system. The rapid development of new technologies, however, has also brought challenges, including the need for rigorous evaluation of the validity and utility of genetic tests, questions regarding the best ways to incorporate them into medical practice, and how to weigh their cost against potential short- and long-term benefits. As the availability of genetic tests increases so do concerns about the achievement of meaningful improvements in clinical outcomes, costs of testing, and the potential for accentuating medical care inequality.
Go to article
21st Century Threats
