— After two and a half years of hearings, the UK General Medical Council ruled today that Andrew Wakefield, the lead author on a study alleging a link between MMR vaccination and autism, “failed in his duties as a responsible consultant.” Wakefield faces removal from the medical register, as well as other punishment, which will be determined at a later date. (The Guardian)

— Researchers have turned mouse skin cells directly into functional neurons, skipping the induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) intermediate step. The work holds promise for treating nervous disorders like Alzheimer’s, as well as for converting skin cells into other helpful cell types. (Reuters)

— Forget Avatar and its record gross at the box office. According to research by Barron’s, the blockbusters of tomorrow could be these five drugs: Novo Norodisk’s Victoza for diabetes, Vivus’ Qnexa for obesity, Amgen’s Prolia for osteoporosis, Dendreon’s Provenge for prostate cancer, and Xarelto, a blood thinner by Johnson & Johnson and Bayer.

— The prognosis for prostate cancer is looking better with new research: One study found that magnetic resonance spectroscopy could be used to locate the cancer based on chemical markers, rather than through biopsy (Reuters; for more on PSA testing, another detection method, check out our December feature). Another study recommends analyzing cancer samples for three specific gene mutations to determine how aggressive treatment should be (Reuters). And lastly, in a small trial an experimental therapeutic vaccine extended the lives of men with prostate cancer by about eight and a half months compared to a placebo. (The Guardian)

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