Human Embryo Cloned For First Time In Britain
AFP
created LONDON -- A human embryo has been cloned for the first time in Britain, where such work is strictly regulated, scientists announced. Scientists at Newcastle University, the first in Britain to obtain a licence to carry out therapeutic cloning for stem cell research, said they had successfully produced a blastocyst -- a tiny, early-stage embryo consisting of a hollow ball of cells -- cloned from a human cell using nuclear transfer. Reproductive cloning is banned in Britain, and a breach can result in a 10-year prison sentence.

Stem-Cell Technique May Speed
Tailored Therapies, Study Says
Bloomberg
Bloomberg -- South Korean researchers said they've found a more efficient way to create individually tailored stem cells, the building blocks that may one day be used to cure conditions such as diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. For the first time, an experiment successfully combined individual DNA of various types of patients with an egg from an unrelated donor to make stem cells, researchers led by Woo Suk Hwang of Seoul National University said in a study published today. The work created 11 new lines, or groups, of the cells that may be used to study and, eventually, treat serious diseases.

Premature Use of Stem Cells Could Put Patients at Risk
News-Medical.Net
The premature use of stem cell therapy could put many patients at risk of viral or prion diseases unless appropriate safety systems are in place, warn experts in this week's BMJ. Expansion of stem cell cultures could allow a single stem cell line to be used for many hundreds, if not thousands of patients, exponentially amplifying the potential risk of disease transmission from a single infected donor.

Company Warns of Dietary Supplement Danger
WJLA-TV Washington D.C.
Washington -- A health products company warned on Wednesday that some of its dietary supplements may be contaminated with bacteria that can cause blindness. The Master's Miracle Inc., based in Minneapolis, said its Fortified Mineral Neutralizer and Ultra Fortified Mineral Neutralizer dietary supplements are at risk of bacterial contamination. According to the Food and Drug Administration, some Master's Miracle distributors have been promoting the use of the supplements in people's eyes. If contaminated product comes in contact with the eyes, it could lead to serious injury, including blindness.

U.S. panel wants to scrutinize FDA safety actions
Reuters
SILVER SPRING, Md. -- Members of a U.S. advisory panel told the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday they want to review how the agency handled drug recalls and serious safety issues. The panel voted unanimously in favor of having the agency provide it with details on its actions leading up to drug withdrawal so that the advisers could help identify areas for improvement.

Fla. Hospital Gets Medical Simulator Baby
The Associated Press
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- At 21 pounds and 28 inches in length, BabySIM has the physical characteristics of a three- to six-month old infant, but its fat little belly is stuffed full of computer parts. The infant can pitch a fit, wet a diaper, has a strong pulse, heart functions, eyes that dilate and blink, sneeze, drool and react to medical treatment and drugs. It can be a girl or a boy. It can also die if the doctors, nurses and paramedics who train on the simulated infant make a serious mistake.

Heart Patient Has First Turbocharger Fitted
NewScientist.com
THE first patient to be fitted with a device designed to "turbocharge" an ailing heart, without greatly increasing the risk of blood clots and other life-threatening complications, is recovering in a New Zealand hospital following surgery earlier this month. The device, called a C-Pulse, has yet to prove its mettle. But the heart specialists who invented it hope it will one day be used to treat thousands of patients who suffer so-called "moderate" heart failure.

Nursing Home Inspection Results
Now at State Health Dept Web site
The Associated Press
Following its smash-hit Web site giving sanitation inspection results for every restaurant and fast-food spot in Louisiana, the Department of Health and Hospitals has opened a similar site for nursing home inspections. It doesn't show details about what inspectors found wrong - though department spokesman Bob Johannessen said officials hope to add copies of the inspection reports themselves to the site at some point.

Long-Term Care Facility Must Pass
Inspection to Save Federal Funds
Idaho State Journal
POCATELLO -- A local long-term care facility owned and operated by Portneuf Medical Center is in danger of losing its Medicare and Medicaid agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services unless it passes a final inspection next month."We don't take this very lightly," said PMC's Chief Operating Officer Cal Northam. "We are not in compliance and we have to fix it."

Aged Inmates' Care Puts Stress On State
The Arizona Republic
Arizona's prison inmates are getting older, sicker and they are staying behind bars longer, driving up health care costs that have to be shouldered by taxpayers. The state is already spending nearly $36 million a year more on health care than it did a decade ago.