A single cell in our body is composed of thousands of millions of different biomolecules that work together in an extremely well-coordinated way. Likewise, many biological and biochemical reactions occur only if molecules are present at very high concentrations. Understanding how all these molecules interact with each other is key to advancing our knowledge in molecular and cell biology. (Nanowerk)

Recently, the man in charge of reforming China’s abusive organ transplantation system took part in two high-profile attempts to defend his record and reform efforts, but both attempts seemed to only make matters worse. (The Epoch Times)

The appearance of grey hairs after periods of stress or skin damage could be the result of depletion of stem cells from the base of the hair follicle, according to a new study in mice. (ABC.net)

After setting off a storm of criticism from abortion rights groups, upset that a Democratic president had sided with social conservatives, the Obama administration said it will comply with a judge’s order to allow girls of any age to buy emergency contraception without prescriptions. (Time)

The Supreme Court on Monday let stand a court order barring abortion protesters from displaying images of aborted fetuses in places where they might disturb children. As is their custom, the justices gave no reasons for declining to hear the case. (New York Times)

Electronic components are invading the body. In the lab, cling wrap–like circuitry draped over the hearts of test animals can track the activity of each of the heart’s four chambers and kill tissue that initiate potentially deadly arrhythmias. Other arrays penetrate brain tissue to monitor the abnormal nerve firing patterns in epilepsy or induce gene expression in the brain tissue of mice. One team has even made a 3D printed bionic ear able to pick up ultrasonic bleats that humans cannot hear. These early prototypes can’t produce science-fiction cyborgs; most are used in medicine. But over time, expect devices that will make us better athletes and soldiers, or even improve our complexions. (Science, by subscription only)

The MIT Center for International Studies and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars are collaborating on a $233,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to help realize potential benefits and to address potential ecological effects of synthetic biology. (Phys.org)

Shocked at the news of a convicted Israeli paedophile gaining custody of a four-year-old Indian girl through an agreement with a surrogate mother in India, an NGO here is pushing for more stringent norms on surrogacy to prevent such instances. (Business Standard)

The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has issued a tender for opening a medical tourism counter - a first of its kind - at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport to facilitate the international tourists get the best medical care in the city. (Times of India)

Rao tells Sulogna Mehta of TOI about his experiences of curing ‘given-up’ cases and medical ethics, healthcare in rural and tribal areas, and the stigma associated with HIV. (Times of India)

Cellular reprogramming was recently crowned with the award of the Nobel Prize to two of its groundbreaking researchers, Sir John Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka. The recent link between reprogramming and stem cells makes this appear almost a new field of research, but its historical roots have actually spanned more than a century. Here, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2012 is placed in its historical context. (Stem Cell Reports)

As a physician who conducts research on decision-making, I have been asked many times: What does behavioral economics teach us about the role of living wills in medical care? Famed behavioral economist Dick Thaler recently opined on this topic in the New York Times, stating his support for a “requirement that all patients meet with their doctors or trained end-of-life counselors and prepare living wills.” He believes patients will be better off if they “talk about the trade-offs and make some choices before they are incapable of doing so.” (Forbes)

Italian border authorities arrested 77-year-old Israeli citizen Gedaliah Taub on Friday on suspicion of international human organ trafficking. Taub was detained at the Rome airport after officials determined his passport was forged. (Times of Israel)

American geneticist Howard Jacob has glimpsed the future. Without medical motivation, he has had his genome sequenced and now carries his genetic profile around with him via an app on his tablet. (Sydney Morning Herald)

Infertile Australians are being offered a new discounted model of IVF, which can be thousands of dollars cheaper but offers a lower chance of success. (Sydney Morning Herald)

A new research paper in PLOSOne this past week claims to have found a fatty tissue source of pluripotent adult stem cells. The team of scientists, led by Gregorio Chazenbalk, an associate researcher with UCLA Obstetrics and Gynecology, have dubbed these cells, MUSE -AT (multilineage-differentiating stress-enduring cells, derived from adipose tissue) because their claimed pluripotent status seems to have been activated by the extreme conditions to which they were subjected. (Forbes)

Researchers have been able to mobilize the brain’s native stem cells to replenish a type of neuron lost in Huntington’s disease. In the study, which appears today in the journal Cell Stem Cell, the scientists were able to both trigger the production of new neurons in mice with the disease and show that the new cells successfully integrated into the brain’s existing neural networks, dramatically extending the survival of the treated mice. (News-Medical)

New research from McMaster University may offer some hope for the parents of children with fatal Tay-Sachs disease. The work points to drugs that may help mitigate the symptoms of the genetic condition, which kills sufferers while they are still young children. The lead author of the research says it would not be a cure, but might prolong the lives of children with Tay-Sachs and a related condition called Sandhoff and improve their quality of life. (Montreal Gazette)

Terming researches in gene-doping detection as promising, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has hoped that a reliable test could be ready for the Rio summer Olympic Games. (Business Standard)

Deciding who gets transplants is a complex medical issue that should be decided by transplant experts, not the courts or members of Congress, experts say. [Interview with Art Caplan and Jonathan Moreno] (U.S.A. Today)