Science Magazine Podcast

A very volcanic moon, and better protections for human study subjects

May 9, 2024

This podcast discusses proposed protections for healthy human subjects in clinical trials and the history of volcanic activity on Jupiter's moon Io. Topics include the risks faced by participants in drug testing, establishing global standards for human study subjects, and using isotopic ratios to study Io's volcanic past.

30:11

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Quick takeaways

Efforts are being made to establish better protections for healthy human subjects in clinical trials, including monitoring for harm and follow-up care post-trial.

Jupiter's moon Io has likely been volcanically active for tens to hundreds of millions of years, as estimated through sulfur isotopic ratios in its atmosphere.

Deep dives

Protections for Healthy Subjects in Clinical Trials

Efforts are being made to safeguard the well-being of healthy human subjects participating in clinical trials. These individuals often take part in phase one trials to test the safety of drugs before patient administration. Current protections, such as institutional review boards (IRBs), and ethical standards in journals, may not be sufficient for these participants, who are often marginalized and may face exploitation. An initiative led by an ethics committee aims to establish new guidelines for better safeguards, including monitoring for harm, follow-up care post-trial, and preventing enrollment in multiple trials concurrently.

Introduction

4min

Ethical Protections for Phase One Trial Participants

8min

Enhancing Protections for Human Study Subjects in Clinical Trials

5min

Exploring Io's Volcanic Activity and Jupiter's Impact

12min

Analyzing Water Oceans on Mars and Venus

2min

Jupiter’s moon Io has likely been volcanically active since the start of the Solar System, and a proposal to safeguard healthy human subjects in clinical trials

First on the show this week, a look at proposed protections for healthy human subjects, particularly in phase 1 clinical trials. Deputy News Editor Martin Enserink joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss the risks healthy participants face when involved in early testing of drugs for safety and tolerance. Then, we hear about a project to establish a set of global standards initiated by the Ethics Committee of France’s national biomedical research agency, INSERM.

Next on this episode, a peek at the history of the most volcanically active body in the Solar System, Jupiter’s moon Io. Because the surface of Io is constantly being remodeled by its many volcanoes, it’s difficult to study its past by looking at craters or other landmarks. Katherine de Kleer, assistant professor of planetary science and astronomy at the California Institute of Technology, talks about using isotopic ratios in the moon’s atmosphere to estimate how long it’s been spewing matter into space.

This week’s episode was produced with help from Podigy.

About the Science Podcast

Authors: Sarah Crespi; Martin Enserink

Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.zyq2ig8

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