Harvard scientists have created a “bionic leaf” that converts solar energy into a liquid fuel. The work—a proof of concept in an exciting new field that might be termed biomanufacturing. Pamela Silver, Elliott T. and Onie H. Adams Professor of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, led the research.
As researchers conduct the most rigorous human trials of cardiac cell therapies yet attempted, a clear picture of whether these treatments actually work is imminent. Richard Lee, professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is quoted.
Congress has over the past few decades passed a series of special approval pathways for important drugs that treat life-threatening or rare diseases. This week, a new bill introduced in the House could add two more. Aaron Kesselheim, associate professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is quoted.
In recent years, vitamin D has gained a reputation for being a miracle nutrient of sorts— boasting benefits from improving physical and mental wellbeing. But as more research emerges, just how vast the vitamin’s value is has become the subject of scientific debate. JoAnn Manson, Michael and Lee Bell Professor of Women’s Health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is quoted.
Imagine what it must have been like to look through the first telescopes or the first microscopes, or to see the bottom of the sea as clearly as if the water were gin. This is how students of human prehistory are starting to feel, thanks to a new ability to study ancient DNA extracted from bodies and bones in archaeological sites. David Reich, professor of genetics, is mentioned.
A combination of three HIV drugs does a remarkably good job fighting Ebola in the laboratory, according to new research. . Eric Campbell, professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, is quoted.
Researchers are finding clues about the metabolism in human urine – most recently in more than 2,000 samples kept frozen in the basement of Imperial College, in London. Robert Gerszten, professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, is quoted.
Dhruv Khullar, clinical fellow in medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, authored this opinion piece about how traditional education emphasizes separate training for each health professional, which inadequately prepares students and residents for new models of health care delivery that emphasize team-based care and shared responsibility for patients.
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved an injection for the reduction of moderate to severe fat deposits under the chin. The active ingredient, deoxycholic acid, dissolves fat, permitting dermatologists and plastic surgeons to resculpt the chin area without surgery. Lynn Drake, lecturer on dermatology at Massachusetts General Hospital, is mentioned.
At the World Medical Innovation Forum on Wednesday, researchers and others detailed the “Disruptive Dozen” technologies with the potential to revolutionize neurological care over the next decade. Rudolph Tanzi, Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Child Neurology and Mental Retardation at Massachusetts General Hospital, and David Silbersweig, Stanley Cobb Professor of Psychiatry at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, moderated the discussion. Several Harvard-affiliated researchers are mentioned.
