Tag: lab

WHO eyes China lab audits next in COVID origin probe

The World Health Organization said on Friday that the second stage of an investigation into the origins of COVID-19 should include further studies in China and lab audits. In a closed-door briefing to member states, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus proposed five priorities for the next phase of the investigation. They included “audits of relevant

Tumors grown in the lab provide insights on rare prostate cancer

Growing miniature tumors from patient’s cells in the laboratory may help scientists personalize treatments for those with a rare form of prostate cancer, according a study by Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian scientists. Patients with prostate cancer often receive therapies that reduce levels of testosterone. Many of their tumors eventually become resistant to such hormone-reducing

Ultra-secure lab in Gabon equipped for Ebola studies

At a research facility in Gabon, one isolated building stands behind an electrified fence, under round-the-clock scrutiny by video cameras. The locked-down P4 lab is built to handle the world’s most dangerous viruses, including Ebola. “Only four people, three researchers and a technician, are authorised to go inside the P4,” said virologist Illich Mombo, who

New lab technology could reveal treatments for muscle-wasting disease

Researchers from Queen Mary University of London have developed new cell-based technologies which could help improve understanding of the muscle-wasting disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and test potential drugs for the disease. DMD is a genetic disorder causing muscle degeneration and weakness, caused by an absence of the protein dystrophin. DMD usually affects only boys,