SCIENCE IN THE NEWS WEEKLY
Injuries Associated With Prescription Drugs Up 38 Percent
According to a new report, U.S. prescription drug injuries and deaths reached record levels in the first quarter of this year. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices said the most dangerous medications were the anti-smoking drug varenicline and the blood thinner heparin.
In other biomedical news, researchers said a leukemia drug called alemtuzumab has shown promise in treating early multiple sclerosis. The drug depletes the body of the white blood cells that attack myelin around nerve cells.
Health officials aren't sure why it's happening, but food allergies in American children seem to be on the rise. About 3 million are now affected, according to the first federal study of the problem.
Some U.S. lawmakers and concerned citizens are calling for a moratorium on expansion of the country's biowarfare defense program, in light of a study that raised questions about the safety of government biodefense labs.
A Harvard professor's Personal Genome Project is aimed at building the only public genomic database that connects genes with diseases. George Church believes it will allow scientists to correlate more easily many millions of genetic variants with medical and other traits, from asthma to acne, eye color to perfect pitch.
The controversy over bisphenol A continues, with the Canadian government adding the chemical to their federal list of toxic substances. Bisphenol A is used in plastics and epoxy resins found in many consumer products, including baby bottles and the lining of food cans.
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