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Science magazine live chat: Should Science Be Censored?

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  • Science magazine live chat: Should Science Be Censored?

    My name is Jane Lee and I'm a producer for ScienceLive, Science magazine's weekly web discussions with top experts on the hottest topics in science.

    I just wanted to let people know that we'll be running a live chat on the controversy over publishing the avian flu papers on Thursday, January 12 at 3 PM EST. We'll also talk more generally about balancing scientific freedom with international security.

    Our own Martin Enserink will be moderating, and our guests will be Michael Osterholm and Andrew Pekosz. We'll be taking questions from readers throughout the hour. You can also submit questions beforehand in the comments box at the bottom of the page.

    If you can't make the live chat, we'll archive the transcript on our website so you can come back and read what happened.

    Thanks, and I hope to see you online!

  • #2
    Re: Science magazine live chat: Should Science Be Censored?

    Welcome Jane!

    Here is our discussion on this issue:

    Man Made H5N1 - Super Version

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Science magazine live chat: Should Science Be Censored?

      There is a place to ask questions/comments before the chat and David Fedson, M.D. posted one:

      "David Fedson

      The debate over restricting publication of the experimental details of the H5N1 research by Fouchier and Kawaoka misses a larger point. Influenza viruses can and do develop more efficient transmissibility on their own. What's more important is to understand what we might do to reduce mortality when this happens. Immunomodulatory agents could probably be used to modify the host response to severe influenza and improve survival (Influenza Other Respi Virus 2009; 3: 129-42), and evidence that this happens was published recently (J Infect Dis 2012; 205: 13-9). Influenza scientists and public health officials who listen to them have yet to understand the potential importance of these agents, yet if a highly virulent H5N1 virus gets loose, the vaccines and antivirals they're counting on won't be available in time to do much good. The issue we should be discussing is not whether to undertake or publish research on H5N1 influenza virus transmisson; it's why we have failed to undertake laboratory and clinical research on immunomodulatory agents. They are produced as generics in developing countries and could be used to treat an individual patient anywhere for less than one dollar.
      Today, 04:19:22 – Flag – Like – Reply"

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Science magazine live chat: Should Science Be Censored?

        hat tip Tetano -

        J Infect Dis. (2011) doi: 10.1093/infdis/jir695 First published online: December 13, 2011

        Association Between Use of Statins and Mortality Among Patients Hospitalized With Laboratory-Confirmed Influenza Virus Infections: A Multistate Study

        Meredith L. Vandermeer1,
        Ann R. Thomas1,
        Laurie Kamimoto2,
        Arthur Reingold3,
        Ken Gershman4,
        James Meek5,
        Monica M. Farley6,
        Patricia Ryan7,
        Ruth Lynfield8,
        Joan Baumbach9,
        William Schaffner10,
        Nancy Bennett11 and
        Shelley Zansky12

        + Author Affiliations

        1Oregon Public Health Division, Portland
        2Influenza Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
        3California Emerging Infections Program, Oakland
        4Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Denver
        5Connecticut Emerging Infections Program, New Haven
        6Emory University School of Medicine and the VA Medical Center, Atlanta, Georgia
        7Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baltimore
        8Minnesota Department of Health, St Paul
        9New Mexico Department of Health, Santa Fe
        10Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
        11University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, New York
        12New York State Department of Health, Emerging Infections Program, Albany

        Correspondence: Ann Thomas, MD, MPH, Oregon Public Health Division, 800 NE Oregon St, Portland, OR 97212 (ann.thomas@state.or.us).

        Abstract

        ARTICLE

        Background. Statins may have anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects that could reduce the risk of mortality from influenza virus infections.

        Methods. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Emerging Infections Program conducts active surveillance for persons hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed influenza in 59 counties in 10 states. We analyzed data for hospitalized adults during the 2007–2008 influenza season to evaluate the association between receiving statins and influenza-related death.

        Results. We identified 3043 patients hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed influenza, of whom 1013 (33.3&#37 received statins and 151 (5.0%) died within 30 days of their influenza test. Patients who received statins were more likely to be older, male, and white; to suffer from cardiovascular, metabolic, renal, and chronic lung disease; and to have been vaccinated against influenza that season. In a multivariable logistic regression model, administration of statins prior to or during hospitalization was associated with a protective odds of death (adjusted odds ratio, 0.59 [95% confidence interval, .38–.92]) when adjusting for age; race; cardiovascular, lung, and renal disease; influenza vaccination; and antiviral administration.

        Conclusions. Statin use may be associated with reduced mortality in patients hospitalized with influenza.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Science magazine live chat: Should Science Be Censored?

          This should be really interesting.

          For anyone who might be time zone confused; it's now 2:35 pm Eastern Time and chat starts at 3 pm.
          The salvage of human life ought to be placed above barter and exchange ~ Louis Harris, 1918

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Science magazine live chat: Should Science Be Censored?

            Live chat:

            3:08:
            MIchael Osterholm: Thanks for the opportunity to participate.

            As a member of the NSABB, I cannot discuss any of the specific aspects of the two manuscripts that we reviewed. However, I can say the NSABB determined that there was real potential for harm in fully publishing these results and that the harm greatly exceeded the benefits of publication. We recommended that the work not be fully communicated in an open forum. The NSABB's 23 members were unanimous that the communication of these results should be greatly limited in terms of the experimental details and results.

            We realize this is a highly unusual recommendation for work in the life sciences. Our concern that publishing these experiments in detail would provide information to individuals, organizations that would assist them in developing a potentially human to human transmitted influenza A/H5N1 viruses for harmful purposes. As scientists, we have a single and primary responsibility to "do no harm" as well as to act with humility as we consider the incredible power of life sciences to create microbes that can do such great harm.

            ...
            "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
            -Nelson Mandela

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Science magazine live chat: Should Science Be Censored?

              <TABLE style="WIDTH: 100%"><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD class=chatmsgtime noWrap>3:23


              </TD><TD class="chatmsgtext altcaster_text "><TABLE><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD></TD><TD>Michael Osterholm: The NSABB carefully considered the potential benefits of the detailed release of the methods and results of these studies. It has been suggested that surveillance for a pre-pandemic virus similar to what is described in these studies will lead to early and comprehensive intervention to quash an emerging pandemic. This is simply not practical. Neither the animal or human surveillance capacities of the H5N1 endemic countries are in any position to use this genetic information to identify the emerging pandemic virus and undertake comprehensive programs to eliminate its emergence. The WHO recognized this very point with A(H1N1)pdm09 and its emergence in Mexico. We also considered the ability to develop and deploy timely and effective countermeasures (vaccines and antivirals) with the distribution of the studys' details. Again, wide distribution of the study results is not necessary to accomplish this.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
              ...
              "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
              -Nelson Mandela

              Comment

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