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Focuses on a study by David Baltimore and colleagues on the effect of foreign gene transplantation on the murine immune system, published in the 1986 issue of 'Cell.' Details of the alleged misconduct by authors of the study; Debate about which federal government should investigate the alleged scientific fraud; Initial findings of investigations by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other agencies on the issue.

Announces the development of the Janelia Farm Research Campus on the Potomac River area in Ashburn, Virginia. Goal of the facility to host efforts towards biomedical research; Recognition of the difficulty of traditional research settings in handling interdisciplinary research; Plan to house instrumentation and researchers in one area.

Focuses on bridging the gap between clinical research and medical practice in the U.S. Concerns facing practice-based research; Provision of resources to community physicians to participate in clinical trials; Development of practice-based research networks.

Reports that Greg Koski, director of the Office of Human Research Protection under the United States Department of Health and Human Services, wants to ensure that human research subjects are properly protected. Comments he made at a meeting on Human Subject Protection and Financial Conflict of Interest, at the National Institutes of Health in August 2000; What other speakers at the meeting said about human experimentation.

Reports that the recent advances in genetics, technology, and pharmacology will improve the treatment of seizures and epilepsy and possibly prevent them. Contributions of the Human Genome Project; Statistics regarding the number of people afflicted with epilepsy; Studies regarding the contraction of epilepsy; Details on new drugs and treatments.

Offers questions as to the efficiency of clinical trials performed on drugs or medical procedures. Results of survey on the quality of research done in medical schools in the United States and Canada; Comments by Dr. Joel J. Nobel at a workshop held by the Institute of Medicine (IOM); View that research in academic centers is not managed and quality guidelines are virtually unknown.

Discusses a report by the National Bioethics Advisory Committee. Its proposed overhaul of the system which regulates and protects subjects in clinical research; Details of the proposed overhaul; Recommendations; Issues of research done in the private, industrial or nonprofit sectors; Outlook.

Focuses on the performance of clinical research under emergency circumstances. Holding of a public forum by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in January 1995; Concern about consent procedures; Difference of concepts between the FDA and NIH; Ethical obligation to conduct life-saving research.

Presents information on the report 'Biomedical Politics,' published by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute as of 1991, which focuses on some of the public processes involved in decisions concerning advances in biomedical science in the U.S. Situations involving biomedical research selected; Illustration of the debate over the preindication use of didanosine for patients with AIDS; Special interest groups.

Discusses research on borderline hypertension, an asymptomatic disease. Definition of the disease; Ways to prevent the disease without drug therapy; Factors to consider in managing hypertension.

Focuses on an investigation being conducted by the U.S. National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Office for Protection From Research Risks (OPRS) into the allegations that French medical researcher Daniel Zagury and his associates were conducting studies on patients with AIDS and children without obtaining proper informed consent. Charges against the NIH investigators regarding their collaboration with Zagury; Questions raised concerning the legality of the collaborative efforts; Findings of the OPRS on the shortcomings of the NIH with regard to the protection of human research subjects; Recommendations from the OPRS to bring activities involving human subjects in compliance with the regulations.

Discusses the emergence of a strengthened system for ensuring that human research subjects are adequately protected. Changes explored at a meeting of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission; Inherent conflicts of interest in the system; Recommendations for change.

Details several issues related to the use of fetal tissues in clinical biomedical research in the United States. Formation of a panel committee; Recommendation of proper and informed consent from the pregnant woman; Concern over the induction of abortion to furnish tissues.

Reports on a plan regarding the clinical trial of human gene therapy developed by the Human Gene Therapy Subcommittee. Approvals needed by the planned study; Requests from subcommittee members; Study that the group will use for the clinical trial.

Discusses toxicology.

Reports on the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine to revitalize the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) in order to attract high-quality scientists and retain leadership in biomedical research. Creation of an NIH scholars program; Development of a pilot project to explore ways of increasing management flexibility at the NIH; Establishment of privately endowed chairs that would pay salaries significantly higher than the federal maximum.

Summarizes the results of a review committee formed by the U.S. Congress to look at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). Recommendation that 14 organisational changes should be made to meet future challenges; Modifications of research priorities; Plan to join the National Institute of Drug Abuse and the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse; Suggestion for creation of a National Center for Clinical Research and Research Resources; Future review of the National Cancer Institutes.

Reports on the benefits of large-scale biomedical research projects in the U.S. Recommendations by the Institute of Medicine calling for the establishment of a system for assessing, staffing, conducting and monitoring big biomedical projects; Call on government health agencies to develop ways to assess important new research opportunities; Implications on studies on cancer.

Discusses how the United States Department of Health and Human Services has issued guidelines on what clinical researchers should do to avoid financial conflicts of interest. How the department's guidelines list 24 points for institutions and investigators to remember; Suggestion that institutions set up a system that would separate research responsibilities from financial interests in a research project.

Reports on the discontinuation of a French immunotherapy study of AIDS by Daniel Zagury of the Pierre and Marie Curie University, which involves a recombinant form of vaccinia virus. Reason for the discontinuation; Orders launched by the U.S. National Institutes of Health to discontinue collaboration between its investigators and Zagury; Factors that influenced government entities to enact the discontinuation; Details on the issue of compassionate treatment in conducting research.

Reports on the plan of the World Health Organization to revise the guidelines for ethical conduct of medical research. Review of proposed clinical trials by two ethical review committees; Extension of the ethical review; Information on how consent by proxy would operate.

Focuses on issues raised concerning the release of medical findings from publicly funded research results that have immediate effect on patient care in the U.S. Event that triggered the National Cancer Institute to deal with the issues; Challenge posed by the practice to the National Institute of Health; Concern about clinically useful findings.

Reports that the United States Congress and the White House are weighing tighter measures to protect human subjects of biomedical research. The issue of adherence to the common rule; The comments that Chris Kline made to a meeting of the National Bioethics Committee; Legislation that has been proposed.

Reports on the symposium to be conducted by the National Cancer Institute regarding the biologic functions of ascorbic acid. Suggested role for ascorbate as an adjuvant to conventional cancer therapy; Publication of reports on the clinical uses of ascorbic acid in the management of malignant neoplasms; Clinical trials funded by the cancer institute.

Reports on the efforts of medical and health associations in the U.S. against the incidence of vandalism of biomedical research laboratories committed by animal rights advocates in the name of more humane treatment of experimental animals, as of June 1990. Proposal from Louis W. Sullivan, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, concerning legal actions against animal rights advocates' actions; Background on an activity by animal rights advocates that hindered several research projects; Information on a pending bill in the U.S. Congress that would protect research facilities.