… | News for Dallas, Texas | Science, Health and Medicine |…
Posted by admin at 4:23 pm in News

The News Review:

- … | News for Dallas, Texas | Science, Health and Medicine |…
- ‘Bad’ Enzymes May Wear White Hats After Stroke.
- Do cancer treatment vaccines really work?
- Omega-3 fatty acid producing pigs
- Ramona pediatrician has medical license suspended
- Pediatrician Featured On Dateline Has License Suspended

… | News for Dallas, Texas | Science, Health and Medicine |…
Dallas Morning News - Dallas Morning News (subscription) - Mar 27, 2006
Still, some scientists say the findings, published online by the journal Nature Biotechnology, are an important forerunner of things to come. Using cloning to change the nutritional value of farm animals is groundbreaking. Alexander Leaf, an emeritus professor of clinical medicine at Harvard, said he was confident that pork and other foods with omega-3s would eventually get to American consumers and that they would be better for it. For years, people have been urged to eat fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids. But fish can be expensive, not everyone likes it, and omega-3s are in greatest abundance in oily fish like tuna, which contains mercury. That nutritional conundrum led a group of scientists from Harvard Medical School, the University of Missouri and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to think of modifying pigs. What resulted was five white piglets with muscle tissue larded with omega-3 fatty acids… Kang, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and the lead author of the new paper, said pigs were only the beginning, adding that he was also developing cows that made omega-3s in their milk and chickens that had the fatty acids in their eggs. Michael Herndon, a spokesman for the Food and Drug Administration, said that research with genetically engineered animals would probably require approval from the agency. He said the FDA had not yet approved genetically modified animals for food. Kang said the work began a few years ago when he put a gene for the production of omega-3 fatty acids into mice.

‘Bad’ Enzymes May Wear White Hats After Stroke.
Free with registration - Europe Intelligence Wire - AccessMyLibrary.com - Mar 27, 2006
The results may suggest new ideas for drug development. Working with rats, a team from the Harvard Medical School Departments of Radiology and Neurology found that the enzyme matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) may help remodel brain tissue seven to 14 days after a stroke. Their findings are published in the April 2006 issue of Nature Medicine, and were made available in an advance online publication on March 26, 2006. Matrix metalloproteinases are a large group of enzymes that help break down the extracellular matrix, a complex structure that surrounds and supports cells. Newer research is showing that MMPs may also contribute to blood.

Do cancer treatment vaccines really work?
U.S. News & World Report - Mar 27, 2006
This seems like a great idea—the vaccines get your own immune system to fight the tumor—but they don’t have a great reputation. The reason: When they have been tested on cancer patients, the number who benefit turns out to be surprisingly low. In fact, a paper in the journal Nature Medicine examined a bunch of trials and found the best response rates were on the order of 2 to 3 percent, which is pretty measly.

Omega-3 fatty acid producing pigs
News-Medical.net - Mar 27, 2006
The research could be a boost to both farmers and health-conscious consumers seeking an alternative and safer source of omega-3 fatty acids. Currently, the only way for humans to realize the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids is by taking dietary supplements or by eating certain types of fish that may also contain high levels of mercury. The results, which are being published by… Dai initiated the collaboration with the aim of creating cloned transgenic pigs capable of making omega-3 fatty acids. The production of these pigs will now provide researchers with opportunities to conduct studies not previously possible. For example, researchers in MU’s College of Veterinary Medicine department of biomedical sciences now plan to study the omega-3 pigs. Harold Laughlin, Ph. , department chair, uses pigs to study the cardiovascular benefits of exercise because a pig’s cardiovascular system is similar to a human’s. Now he plans to incorporate these unique pigs into his research to determine how higher omega-3 levels and exercise could affect the cardiovascular system.

Ramona pediatrician has medical license suspended
San Diego Union Tribune - Mar 27, 2006
March 27, 2006

SAN DIEGO – A Ramona pediatrician, featured in an MSNBC Dateline segment on Internet chat rooms in which he agreed to meet a teenage boy, had his medical license suspended Monday for alleged unprofessional conduct. The Interim Suspension Order bars Jeffrey R. Beck from practicing medicine while the Osteopathic Medical Board of California moves forward with a formal accusation of misconduct that could result in permanent revocation of Beck’s license. ”

The accusation states that Beck “is all the more dangerous because he practices pediatric medicine,” and “is in contact with the very patient population he previously tried to solicit for sex. Nothing could be more dangerous… Beck from practicing medicine while the Osteopathic Medical Board of California moves forward with a formal accusation of misconduct that could result in permanent revocation of Beck’s license. ”

The accusation states that Beck “is all the more dangerous because he practices pediatric medicine,” and “is in contact with the very patient population he previously tried to solicit for sex. Nothing could be more dangerous. ”

In the television program, Beck, an osteopathic pediatrician, agreed to meet a supposed 14-year-old boy, “Luke,” with whom he had corresponded in online chat rooms. “Luke” was actually a trained volunteer working for the child protection organization “Perverted Justice.

Pediatrician Featured On Dateline Has License Suspended
10News.com - Mar 27, 2006
In the Dateline segment, the doctor agreed to meet a teenage boy he met in a chat room. The interim suspension order bars Jeffrey R. Beck from practicing medicine while the Osteopathic Medical Board of California moves forward with a formal accusation of misconduct that could result in permanent revocation of Beck’s license… “The accusation states that Beck “is all the more dangerous because he practices pediatric medicine,” and “is in contact with the very patient population he previously tried to solicit for sex. Nothing could be more dangerous. “In the television program, Beck, an osteopathic pediatrician, agreed to meet a supposed 14-year-old boy, “Luke,” with whom he had corresponded in online chat rooms. “Luke” was actually a trained volunteer working for the child protection organization “Perverted Justice.

Leave a Comment