Gina Kolata
Medical reporter for the New York Times and author of six books. The latest, Mercies in Disguise, will be published in March of 2017.
Last synced from Twitter 10d ago
Chinese Scientist Claims to Use Crispr to Make First Genetically Edited Babies
The researcher, He Jiankui, offered no evidence or data to back up his assertions. If true, some fear the feat could open the door to “designer babies”
Gina Kolata
A Chinese scientist says he edited the genes of two embryos, resulting in twins who are resistant to HIV.
18d
Why Are We Still So Fat?
Only bariatric surgery reliably leads to long-term weight loss. Now scientists hope to duplicate the effects with a pill.
Gina Kolata
We were asked to write stories for the anniversary edition of Science Times. Here's mine
25d
He Promised to Restore Damaged Hearts. Harvard Says His Lab Fabricated Research.
Findings that would have revolutionized treatment of heart attacks were based on falsified and fabricated data, revealing weaknesses in medical research.
1
Gina Kolata
"The longest running version of Mean Girls. Except most of the characters were adult men." The bitter story of how a contested theory about the heart took hold.
46d
The Results of Your Genetic Test Are Reassuring. But That Can Change.
Laboratories frequently “reclassify” genetic mutations. But there is no reliable system for telling patients or doctors that the results of their genetic tests are no longer valid.
Harvard Calls for Retraction of Dozens of Studies by Noted Cardiologist
Some 31 studies by Dr. Piero Anversa contain fabricated or falsified data, officials concluded. Dr. Anversa popularized the idea of stem cell treatment for damaged hearts.
4
Gina Kolata
31 papers from one lab contain fraudulent data. And they were published in leading journals.
60d
Thomas A. Steitz, 78, Dies; Illuminated a Building Block of Life
A Nobel laureate, he discovered the structure of a huge molecule crucial to translating genetic information into the proteins that make up living matter.
Gina Kolata
Tom Steitz, Nobel Laureate, died yesterday. He had "a talent that is indescribable.”
65d
In Medical Reporting, the Impact of Patients’ Stories
A highly unusual response to my article on insurance obstacles to obtaining powerful new cholesterol-lowering drugs came from the very top: the leaders of one of the two companies making the drugs.
These Cholesterol-Reducers May Save Lives. So Why Aren’t Heart Patients Getting Them?
Powerful PCSK9 inhibitors were supposed to revolutionize care for cardiac patients. But insurers and other payers balked at sky-high prices.
Gina Kolata
Battle between makers of expensive cholesterol-lowering drugs and payers seems to be ending in a compromise.
73d
Tiny Device Is a ‘Huge Advance’ for Treatment of Severe Heart Failure
A clip used to repair damaged heart valves sharply reduced deaths among patients with a grim prognosis.
2
Gina Kolata
A surprisingly powerful tool to treat the nearly two million with severe heart failure
82d
The Secret to Keeping Black Men Healthy? Maybe Black Doctors
In an intriguing study, black patients were far more likely to agree to certain health tests if they discussed them with a black male doctor.
Clues to Your Health Are Hidden at 6.6 Million Spots in Your DNA
With a sophisticated new algorithm, scientists have found a way to forecast an individual’s risks for five deadly diseases.
They Thought Hemophilia Was a ‘Lifelong Thing.’ They May Be Wrong.
Experimental gene therapies have yielded promising results in early trials. But the drugs have left some patients wary, worried that success will not last.
For Scientists Racing to Cure Alzheimer’s, the Math Is Getting Ugly
To find 25,000 participants to enroll in all the approved trials, researchers would have to begin by approaching more than 37 million people with early memory loss.
Dr. Alan S. Rabson, Influential Cancer Researcher, Is Dead at 92
A longtime leader of the National Cancer Institute, he was known for his willingness to help anyone with a cancer diagnosis seeking advice or a referral.
1
Gina Kolata
"You could not be in his presence without smiling." Obit of a scientist, administrator, and just a really nice and really kind man.
150d
Un procedimiento médico que puede salvar corazones
Los trasplantes de mitocondrias en bebés parecen revivir y restaurar el músculo cardiaco que resulta dañado en intervenciones quirúrgicas para la reparación de defectos congénitos en el corazón. Y en un futuro, podría ayudar también a los adultos.
Swift Gene-Editing Method May Revolutionize Treatments for Cancer and Infectious Diseases
Scientists report that they have discovered a way to tweak genes in the body’s immune cells by using electrical fields.
Dying Organs Restored to Life in Novel Experiments
An unusual transplant may revive tissues thought to be hopelessly damaged, including the heart and brain.
Alfred Alberts, Unsung Father of a Cholesterol Drug, Dies at 87
His discovery led to lovastatin, but he shunned the limelight — until he was a patient himself and doctors, learning who he was, treated him “like a rock star.”
7
The Online Gene Test Finds a Dangerous Mutation. It May Well Be Wrong.
Third-party analysis of raw DNA is not as rigorous as that done in a certified laboratory. But many consumers don’t understand that their results are not conclusive.
A Landmark Diet Study Was Flawed. The Researchers Stand By the Findings Anyway.
A highly publicized trial in Spain found that the Mediterranean diet protects against heart disease. Now the original work has been retracted and re-analyzed, with the same result.
Gina Kolata
Mediterranean diet study is retracted and re-analyzed. But not everyone is convinced.
183d