The five most-read posts on Scope this week were:
Lifetime cost of multiple sclerosis: $1.2 million per patient: A report by the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation shows the average lifetime cost of MS is $1.2 million per patient.
Growing new inner-ear cells: a step toward a cure for deafness: A segment on KGO-TV featured otolaryngology professor Stefan Heller, MD, PhD, and Stanford postdoc Kazuo Oshima, PhD, discussing their recent achievement using mouse stem cells and fibroblasts to re-create the rodent's inner ear cells - right down to the tiny hairs that sense vibrations.
Universal influenza vaccine, maybe - eternal, maybe not: Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine report in the online journal mBio that they have created an influenza vaccine that appears to work against every known flu strain.
Rates of rheumatoid arthritis rising in women: After decades of decline, rates of rheumatoid arthritis are increasing in women. Researchers estimate the disease affects 1.5 million women, up from a previously reported 1.3 million.
Nobel laureate John Sulston concerned about "synthetic life" patents: Nobel laureate John Sulston, PhD, expresses concerns about efforts by Craig Venter, PhD, to apply for patents on his synthetic Mycoplasma mycoides.
The Grand Roundup is posted every Saturday.
