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HELP Committee Dems Block Antiabortion Provisions In Health Reform Markup
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Monday rejected several Republican abortion-related amendments to the committee" health overhaul bill but adopted a Democratic amendment allowing health care providers who oppose abortion to contract with health plans, CQ HealthBeat reports. The committee voted mostly along party lines to reject an amendment by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) that would have prohibited abortion coverage in a health care exchange for participants who receive government-subsidized coverage. Democrats said that the language could have been used to restrict abortion coverage in private insurance plans. The amendment failed in an 11-12 vote, with Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) crossing party lines to support it. The committee also voted 11-12 to reject an amendment by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) that would have specified that federal health reform legislation could not override state laws on parental notification when minors seek abortion services. The committee adopted by voice vote an amendment submitted by Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) on behalf of committee Chair Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), who is battling brain cancer. The amendment states that health care providers could not be excluded from contracting with health plans taking part in a health insurance exchange on the basis that the provider performs abortions or refuses to perform abortions except in an emergency if "performing abortions is contrary to the religious or moral beliefs of the provider or entity." Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) said that he is concerned the amendment might be unconstitutional because Congress cannot legislate on religious issues. Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) expressed concern that the phrase "except in emergency" was not more clearly defined. Dodd declined Enzi"s request to withdraw the amendment until it could be clarified. The committee rejected Coburn"s amendment that was a more sweeping version of "conscience" protections for health care providers with religious or moral objections (Norman [1], CQ HealthBeat, 7/13). Dodd said he expects the committee to complete its work on the bill Tuesday night (Norman [2], CQ HealthBeat, 7/13).According to NPR"s "Morning Edition," abortion is one of the most likely issues to "throw a wrench into the already fragile gears" of health reform legislation. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said, "I take a view that there"s almost anything (that can be compromised) in public affairs except probably the issue of abortion." Nineteen House Democrats recently sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), saying, "We cannot support any health care reform proposal unless it explicitly excludes abortion from the scope of any government-defined or subsidized health insurance plan." Democratic pollster Mark Mellman said any new restrictions on abortion coverage in government-subsidized health plans might be unpopular with the public. "Right now most health care plans cover abortion, cover contraception, cover women"s reproductive health," Mellman said. He added, "To some extent what they"re talking about on Capitol Hill is taking away coverage that people already have. Americans want health care reform. But they will oppose health care reform if it takes away the coverage they now have for things like abortion and contraception." Mellman recently conducted a poll for the National Women"s Law Center that found that 75% of respondents would prefer to have an independent commission of medical experts and citizens, rather than lawmakers, decide what should be covered (Rovner, "Morning Edition," NPR, 7/14).

Reprogrammed Mouse Fibroblasts Can Make A Whole Mouse
In a paper publishing online July 23 in Cell Stem Cell, a Cell Press journal, Dr. Shaorong Gao and colleagues from the National Institute of Biological Sciences in Beijing, China, report an important advance in the characterization of reprogrammed induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs.
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Study Looks At Efficacy, Cardiovascular Risks Of Two HIV Treatments
Patients taking Boehringer Ingelheim"s HIV drug Viramune have a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease than those taking Bristol-Myers Squibb"s treatment, Reyataz, according to a study released on Monday at the 5th International AIDS Society conference in Cape Town, South Africa, Reuters reports. "The drug trial, involving 569 participants, yielded that Viramune, while being as effective at suppressing HIV as Bristol Myers" blockbuster Reyataz, had a more favourable effect on patients" cardiovascular risks, as measured by certain blood lipids," the article states. The study found that "Viramune-treated patients ò€¦ had more than twice the level of HDL cholesterol, known as "good cholesterol" for its benefitial effect on blood vessels, than those on Reyataz, Boehringer said in a statement," Reuters reports. The article adds that advances in antiretroviral drugs have helped make HIV a "treatable chronic condition," and "as a result, patients are growing older, bringing other symptoms of an HIV infection, such as cardiovascular diseases, to the fore" (Burger, Reuters, 7/20).
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New Journal Focusing On Neuroscience Research To Be Published By The American Chemical Society

With neuroscience on the threshold of unprecedented advances in understanding and treating Alzheimer"s disease, Parkinson"s disease, autism, and a range of other disorders of the brain and nervous system, the American Chemical Society (ACS) has announced plans to launch a new journal devoted to the molecular basis of neurological disease. ACS Chemical Neuroscience will launch in January 2010 with Craig W. Lindsley, Ph.D., of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, as Editor-in-Chief. The bimonthly journal will focus on the molecular aspects of neurological science in both health and disease. Topics expected in the peer-reviewed, online-only publication include nerve activators and receptors; nerve growth and development; nerve imaging; pain and sensory processing; and the diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases. ACS Chemical Neuroscience targets a growing demand for publication of neuroscience research and represents an expansion of the ACS journal portfolio relating to biological chemistry. Utilizing ACS" award-winning Web delivery platform, the journal will publish short features as well as peer-reviewed letters, articles, and reviews. The publication will include regular commentary features to discuss standards in the field as well as develop connections between technological advancements and applications. These features will serve to engage the diverse group of scientists working in the multidisciplinary neuroscience field. Lindsley comes to the journal with both academic and industrial experience. "He brings a unique perspective of what it takes to do neuroscience research in both sectors," said Evelyn Jabri, Ph.D., senior acquisitions editor for ACS Publications and project leader for the new journal. Unlike some other neuroscience journals, ACS Chemical Neuroscience won"t levy charges for publication and color figures, Lindsley said. This and other author benefits, such as rapid review and publication process, will provide authors with a competitive edge in disseminating their work, he added. Lindsley is currently Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Chemistry and Director of Medicinal Chemistry for the Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology Program in Drug Discovery at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tenn. He earned his B.S. in chemistry from California State University in 1992 and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1996. After a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University, he conducted medicinal chemistry research at Parke-Davis Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly & Co., and Merck & Co. Lindsley joined the faculty of Vanderbilt in 2006. His research currently focuses on developing new treatments for schizophrenia, Parkinson"s disease, and other disorders. Michael Bernstein American Chemical Society


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