Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to international efforts to curb hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) gases
The US secretary of state John Kerry has said that there are international efforts to cut hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) greenhouse gases such as those used in air conditioners and refrigerators. read more
Higher Education and Research Bill
There are some things that the scientific community are generally agreed on. That we need a stronger voice for science in government, most especially after Brexit, that what government spends on science is still too low (0.49% of GDP compared to the EU average of 0.67%) and that decisions about what research is conducted need to be free from government interference. But is the new U.K. Higher Education and Research Bill going to deliver all these goals? Unusually the scientific community is divided with Paul Nurse and the Royal Society believing that the bill presents the best chance of achieving some of the changes desperately needed, while others think it poses new risks. A strongly worded leader in Nature this week called on scientists to oppose the bill on the grounds that it opens the door to political interference and called on the scientific community to address the issues in public as well as negotiating behind closed doors. read more
expert reaction to study looking at neonicotinoid pesticides and bumblebees in the field
Publishing in Journal of Applied Ecology, a group of researchers examined the effect of exposure to three specific neonicotinoid pesticides on bumblebee colonies in a field setting and reported changes to colony numbers with some pesticides (for imidacloprid or thiamethoxam) more than with others (clothiandin). read more
expert reaction to University of Edinburgh study on dementia and environmental factors
Based on a review of previous studies a group of researchers have shortlisted a number of environmental risk factors for dementia in a paper published in the journal BMC Geriatrics. read more
expert reaction to antidepressants and risk of suicide and violence in healthy people
A review of published evidence on the effect of antidepressants on suicidal behaviour and violence in healthy people is published in Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine with the authors reporting ‘antidepressants double the occurrence of events in adult healthy volunteers that can lead to suicide and violence.’ read more
expert reaction to new study on climate forcing from aerosols
Publishing in the journal PNAS a group of researchers have analysed mechanisms of formation of atmospheric aerosols and their effect on climate change. read more
expert reaction to mouse study of gene therapy for Alzheimer’s disease
A group of scientists have described their use of a specific gene therapy to treat Alzheimer’s disease in a mouse model. Publishing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences the scientists report that the upregulation of the PGC-1α gene brought about reduced biological markers of the disease and improved function in the mice. read more
expert reaction to a study using stem cell therapy to regenerate damaged primate hearts
Transplants often fail because of immune reactions of the patient against the donated organ or tissue. A paper published in the journal Nature has described attempts to use modified transplanted stem cells to regenerate the damaged hearts of five monkeys. read more
expert reaction to review of the health effects of natural alternatives to oestrogen therapy
A review of published evidence on the health effects of plant-derived compounds (phytoestrogens) similar in structure to oestrogen is published in the British Journal of Pharmacology. The review reported that, when used as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy, phytostrogens had the potential for harmful effects which are not at this stage outweighed by the health benefits. read more
expert reaction to decision on fracking in Lancashire
The government has given the go ahead for horizontal fracking at a site in Lancashire. read more
expert reaction to a study looking at semen quality of adult ICSI offspring
A group of researchers have examined the sperm quality of the world’s oldest group of young men conceived by of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) fertility treatment and report their results in the journal Human Reproduction. The authors report that sperm quantity and quality of these man was lower than average. read more
expert reaction to paper on the health effects of e-cigarettes
Publishing in The New England Journal of Medicine a group of researchers have examined the health effects of e-cigarettes. read more
expert reaction to MRSA in pork
The Guardian newspaper has reported that their investigations have shown a number of supermarket pork products to be contaminated with a strain of MRSA bacteria. read more
Childhood cancer incidence around Dounreay and Sellafield
Childhood leukaemia is rare, affecting approximately 500 children every year in the UK. There have been numerous studies and reports on the possible risks of childhood leukaemia in the vicinity of nuclear installations and there are acknowledged historical clusters of childhood leukaemia around both Sellafield and Dounreay nuclear sites. Recent reports of raised thyroid cancer incidence following reactor accidents in other countries have led to increased interest in the possible consequences of the 1957 Windscale fire. The Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) is publishing its 17th report, ‘Further consideration of the incidence of cancers around the nuclear installations at Sellafield and Dounreay’ – a comprehensive review of the incidence of leukaemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and other cancers among young people around the Sellafield and Dounreay nuclear installations, updating its previous work. COMARE is a Department of Health Expert Committee providing independent advice to all government departments and agencies. read more
Genome editing: an ethical review. Preliminary findings from the Nuffield Council on Bioethics
Genome editing techniques such as the CRISPR-Cas9 system are transforming biological research and hold the key for our expectations and ambitions for addressing global challenges such as food and energy production and disease prevention. The Nuffield Council on Bioethics is publishing the first findings of its programme of work looking at the recent and potential impact of advances in genome editing. The Council’s review identifies, defines and prioritises the ethical issues and questions that genome editing gives rise to in relation to its possible applications including in human reproduction, biomedicine and agriculture. read more
expert reaction to study to Mediterranean diets and CVD
Researchers publishing in the journal BMC Medicine have reported that, in their study, greater adherence to a Mediterranean diet was associated with lower cardiovascular disease incidence and mortality. read more
expert reaction to study on painkillers and heart failure
A group of researchers have published their work in The BMJ examining the effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and report that use of such drugs can increase the risk of heart failure. read more
expert reaction to association of hormonal contraception with depression
A paper published in JAMA Psychiatry has reported that use of hormonal contraceptives is associated with subsequent use of anti-depressants and a first diagnosis of depression. read more
expert reaction to research on the impact of climate change on wheat, rice and other grasses
The effect of climate change on grasses such as wheat and rice is examined in a paper published in Biology Letters with the authors reporting that climate change is expected to outpace rate of adaptation. read more
expert reaction to study of tumorigenesis in mouse mammary cells treated with aluminium
A paper published in the journal Molecular Cancer Biology has reported that aluminium salt compounds are able to transform mouse breast cells maintained in vitro to give them characteristics of tumour cells. read more