16 – 22 January 2017
Inside the global campaign to get rid of rabies
An estimated 59,000 people die from rabies worldwide each year, almost all infected by dogs. But the horrible suffering caused by rabies and the fact that many victims are children led the World Health Organization (WHO) and other groups in 2015 to announce a goal to eliminate rabies deaths worldwide by 2030. Find source
Heart-hugging device could help keep the beat
A new type of soft robotic sleeve has been invented to keep a weak or damaged heart beating, and it could save the lives of transplant patients who often have to wait months – or sometimes more than year – to receive a new organ. Find source
India’s first GM food crop held up by lawsuit
India’s long-standing push to approve genetically modified (GM) food crops has been controversially delayed, after an environmental campaigner launched a lawsuit that accuses scientists of deceiving the public about the benefits of transgenic mustard. Find source
Technique reveals movements of immune cells as they hunt for tumors
A study led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine has for the first time demonstrated a way to visualize and monitor the behavior of immune cells used to treat cancer patients. Find source
Toxic brain cells may drive many neurodegenerative disorders
Astrocytes, star-shaped cells in the central nervous system, are essential to the survival and healthy function of brain neurons. But aberrant astrocytes may be driving neurodegenerative disorders. Find source
