SCIENCE IN THE NEWS WEEKLY
Human Regeneration, a Tougher FDA, Unhealthy Chemicals
Last week the New York Times reported on novel approaches to the age-old dream of regenerating the body from its own cells. In one study, researchers inactivated two genes that suppress tumors and got mouse muscle cells to revert to a younger state, start dividing and help repair tissue.
In other biomedical news, a growing number of drugs that are on the market could face renewed attention from the Food and Drug Administration in the wake of adverse side effects associated recently with a once-popular diabetes drug and another designed to help smokers quit.
The Washington Post reported that federal regulators lack data on the health risks of many chemicals in consumer products. A case in point was offered recently when Kellogg recalled 28 million boxes of cereal due to elevated levels of a chemical in the packaging known as 2-methylnaphthalene.
Research published online in the Annals of Neurology undermines an unproven treatment for multiple sclerosis that involves endovascular surgery to open blocked or narrowed veins in the neck.
And, finally, researchers say a common genetic mutation of the APOL1 gene might be partly to blame for the high incidence of kidney disease among African-Americans. It is believed the mutation likely arose due to natural selection because it protects against African sleeping sickness.
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