Scientists hope that stem cells may be able to repair nerves and other cells that support transmission of electrical impulses in the spinal cord.
binomialphoto/flickr
Claims that stem cell treatments can repair spinal injuries right now are overblown. But it’s not for lack of trying, and the science is certainly progressing.
Better technologies should be adopted in sub-Saharan Africa to deal with childhood cancer.
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Better technology to diagnose, treat and manage the disease early enough is needed to improve the survival rates of childhood cancer in sub Saharan Africa.
President Barack Obama signs the 21st Century Cures Act on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016, in Washington.
Kevin Wolf/AP Images for Parker Foundation
Lowering the threshold for FDA approval and feeding the agency less rigorous information will increase the likelihood of approvals of unsafe or ineffective drugs and devices.
Despite dozens of trials internationally, the evidence on medical cannabis is unconvincing.
EPA/ABIR SULTAN
Pay-for-performance for doctors works brilliantly … but only in theory.
So a tested medical intervention was found not to work. This should be just as big news as if it was found to be a success.
from www.shutterstock.com.au
Why didn’t you hear about a recent big study on a new heart medication? Because the drug didn’t work. But that doesn’t mean the study wasn’t a success – it was.
Glass sculpture representation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus structure.
LabLit/flickr
If the vaginal ring becomes available for commercial use it will become one of the tools in the HIV prevention toolbox for women alongside female condoms and daily pre-exposure prophylaxis.
Do parents know enough about clinical trials to give informed consent?
Sick child image via www.shutterstock.com.
The dramatic improvements in survival for children with cancer depend on clinical trials, and these trials depend on parents understanding the possible risks and benefits involved.
Women who were found to have lied in a clinical trial testing anti-HIV drugs were heavily criticised. But there are several factors that drove them to lie.
Women would prefer a product that addresses multiple sexual and reproductive health risks at the same time.
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Scientists are developing various products that can provide contraception and protection from sexually transmitted infections and HIV at the same time.
A new treatment for achondroplasia is helping to transform many kids’ lives.
A collaboration between research and industry has produced a promising new drug that could transform many childrens’ lives. It’s also a case study in innovation done right.
A women gets an HIV test. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for the majority of the HIV deaths annually.
World Bank Collection/flickr
Lynn Morris, University of the Witwatersrand; Nono Mkhize, National Institute for Communicable Diseases; Penny Moore, University of the Witwatersrand, and Zanele Ditse, National Institute for Communicable Diseases
Two major clinical trials will be conducted in South Africa in 2016 to test ways of preventing new HIV infections.
In most African countries, there is no oversight body for the pharmaceutical marketplace.
Reuters/Thomas Mukoya
Africa’s pharmaceutical industry has mushroomed in the last ten years. But its ability to keep pace with demand is being held back by a number of factors, including a shortage of specialists.
The concept of benefit sharing ensures that all who take part in research have sone form of gain from it.
Professor of Bioethics & Medicine, Sydney Health Ethics, Haematologist/BMT Physician, Royal North Shore Hospital and Director, Praxis Australia, University of Sydney