Hed-stat The World of Biomedicine, in Brief
interview
Steven E. Nissen

Q: Are drugmakers really so terrible?

A: There are some very good pharmaceutical companies that are being more transparent about their data. Overall, though, they operate very much like any other profit-driven manufacturer. But selling pharmaceuticals is not the same thing as selling a gadget on TV that chops onions. It requires a higher moral standard.

“I think all cells have a spirit; they know if someone is there.”

Zinc Fingers

With zinc finger technology, scientists might be able to “cut and paste” DNA to fight certain diseases.

syringe

Sticking Points

Percutaneous injuries among medical students and health care workers hurt in more ways than one.

ehrlich and hata

The Salvarsan Wars

When Paul Ehrlich developed the first clinically tested syphilis treatment in 1910, he sparked hope and controversy.

telomeres plastic tips on shoelaces

Eye On Medicine

Take a second look at the most compelling images from the opening pages of past issues of Proto.

NEAD Chains

Paying It Forward

Could a new strategy help reduce the number of people who die waiting for kidney transplants?

drug samples

The Cost of Free Drugs

Handouts from drug companies might seem helpful, but some experts contend that they create conflicts of interest and raise prescription costs.

second opinion

“...The nation’s medical schools must realize that for every student they admit who does not practice or do research, or who is admitted at an older age, or whose other responsibilities in life mean that he or she will not practice full time, there are multiple patients who will not be able to find a doctor.”

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defined

technetium-99m \tek-'nē-sh[ē-]əm nīn'tē nīn ĕm\ n : A radioactive isotope used in at least 20 million medical scans in the United States each year and which has been at the center of controversy because of the shutdown of a 50-year-old nuclear reactor in Canada.