Boston scientists are launching a major study to finally answer the question on the lips of many chocoholics: Do components of dark chocolate protect the heart? JoAnn Manson, the Michael and Lee Bell Professor of Women’s Health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, will lead the trial. Howard Sesso, associate professor of medicine, also of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is a co-leader of the study.
Think of them as tiny environmental health officers. Bacteria have been engineered to monitor the state of a live animal’s gut. The work is a first step towards developing genetically modified bacteria that non-invasively diagnose problems such as gut infections or inflammation. Jeffrey Way, lecturer on systems biology, and Pamela Silver, the Elliott T. and Onie H. Adams Professor of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, led the research.
Martin Nweeia, clinical instructor at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, has been traveling to the Arctic for fourteen years to study narwhals, and, in particular, their tusks. He and a team of colleagues have published a detailed account of their studies on the narwhal tusk and conclude that the tusk is a sense organ that lets male narwhals perceive the ocean, possibly helping them find mates or food.
Transplant leaders are debating national rules for the distribution of deceased donors’ faces and hands, tackling ethically challenging questions such as which disfigured patients across the country should get priority for these surgeries as they become more common. Bohdan Pomahac, associate professor of surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Amir Taghinia, assistant professor of surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital, are quoted.
Medical bills are the leading cause of personal bankruptcy in America, despite the fact that more people have health insurance and expanded coverage under Obamacare. “Sticker shock” after receiving a medical bill is becoming a rite of passage for Americans. Neel Shah, instructor in obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, was recently a guest on Radio Boston to discuss this issue.
Fish is often called “brain food.” It’s an excellent source of lean protein, rich in nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins and iodine, and pregnant women are encouraged to eat it. There’s just one, ah, catch: Fish also may have mercury, which can harm the developing brain. Research by Emily Oken, associate professor of population medicine, is cited.
J. Wesley Boyd, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Cambridge Health Alliance, authored this opinion piece about the legalization of marijuana.
In a new paper, Javier Fernandez, research fellow in genetics, and Donald Ingber, founding director of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard and the Judah Folkman Professor of Vascular Biology at HMS, describe a new way to process chitosan, a form of chitin, making it potentially viable for large-scale manufacturing with traditional casting or injection molding techniques.
As government financing of basic science research has plunged, private donors have filled the void, raising questions about the future of research for the public good.
The White House is backing off its push for quick confirmation of President Obama’s pick to be surgeon general in the face of opposition from the National Rifle Association and concerns among Democrats up for reelection who don’t want to take another tough vote on a controversial nominee.
