As Threat Of Antibiotic Resistance Looms, LA County To Takes Steps To Learn More About It
"If we keep trying to win the battle with the same tools, the antibiotic-resistance mechanisms of these organisms are going to learn how to evade that," says Dr. James McKinnell, an infectious disease specialist with Los Angeles County.
KPCC:
LA County Looks Deeper As WHO Raises The Alarm On Superbugs
L.A. County is conducting research to learn more about antibiotic-resistant infections at local hospitals. Researchers say their findings will help doctors make better choices in treatment. (Faust, 10/5)
In other public health news —
Los Angeles Times:
As Much As 2.6% Of Your DNA Is From Neanderthals. This Is What It's Doing
Modern humans are a little more Neanderthal than we thought. A highly detailed genetic analysis of a Neanderthal woman who lived about 52,000 years ago suggests that our extinct evolutionary cousins still influence our risk of having a heart attack, developing an eating disorder and suffering from schizophrenia. Altogether, scientists now estimate that somewhere between 1.8% and 2.6% of the DNA in most people alive today was inherited from Neanderthals, according to a report published Thursday in the journal Science. (Healy, 10/5)
Capital Public Radio:
Sacramento Researcher Helping Lead Fight Against Breast Cancer
October marks National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and there’s plenty of new research happening in the Sacramento region to help develop a cure. Dr. Ernie Bodai was critical in the creation of the breast cancer research stamp, which has raised more than $80 million since its creation in 1998. (Remington, 10/5)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Gene Therapies Save Lives, But How To Pay For Them?
Stem cell and gene therapies for cancer and other diseases used to be considered exotic. But stunning successes are fast moving them into the medical mainstream. While only a few of these therapies have yet been approved, many more are being tested experimentally. In addition to treating otherwise fatal cancers, they may relieve sickle cell disease, restore failing hearts and even cure HIV infection. ... Drug company representatives discussed these issues Wednesday at Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mesa, an annual event in La Jolla devoted to stem cell and gene therapy. (Fikes, 10/5)
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Cazadero Inventor Hopes Study Could Validate Temple Massager
Joe Meisch has persisted through 20 years of trying to advance his invention, a “temple massager” designed to relieve headaches and other ailments related to facial tension. He’s about to learn whether his tenacity might pay off. Meisch, an Army Reserve and National Guard veteran and a Cazadero resident, came up with his idea in September 1997 and for the past 10 years has been donating the Meisch Temple Massager to veterans and the medical institutions that serve them. This summer a researcher tied to the U.S. military health system agreed to conduct a clinical assessment of the device, a pilot that might lead to a full clinical trial to measure how much the massager helps relieve persistent headaches. (Digitale, 10/5)