Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to study reporting sperm-like cells generated from mouse embryonic stem cells
A group of scientists have reported the creation of functioning sperm-like cells from mouse embryonic stem cells, and publish their research in the journal Cell Stem Cell. The team report that these cells were able to produce viable offspring in when injected into egg cells and implanted in the mice. read more
mefloquine and mental health in the armed forces
Mefloquine (also known by the trade name Lariam) is an anti-malarial drug that has been in use for over thirty years and is on the World Health Organisation’s List of Essential Medicines. It is the primary anti-malarial drug prescribed to members of the armed forces in the UK, but recent controversy about psychiatric side effects have led some to call for it to be replaced with a different anti-malarial treatment. While potential psychiatric side effects from mefloquine use have been documented for many years, the extent to which psychiatric issues in the armed forces may be due to the drugs is complicated and unclear due to the elevated risk of certain psychiatric conditions within this group. The Ministry of Defence has opened into an inquiry into the use of mefloquine in the armed forces, and is currently hearing evidence from various experts and individuals. read more
expert reaction to reports of US court decision on case of talcum powder use and ovarian cancer
A court in the US has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay damages of $72m to the family of a woman who died of ovarian cancer which it is claimed was caused by genital use of the company’s baby powder talc. read more
expert reaction to modelling study looking at incomplete personal protection coverage in vector-borne disease
Publishing in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface a group of scientists have used a model to analyse the use of personal protection techniques, such as netting and insect repellents, for the avoidance of diseases spread by carriers like mosquitoes. From this model they suggested some circumstances under which such devices might increase disease in the unprotected portion of the population. read more
expert reaction to major incident declared following a possible explosion or building collapse at Didcot Power Station
Parts of Didcot A power station have reportedly collapsed during decommissioning, with a major incident declared. read more
expert reaction to reports that Pauline Cafferkey, who previously recovered from Ebola, has been admitted to hospital for the third time
The British nurse, Pauline Cafferkey, who had previously recovered from Ebola after working in West Africa has been admitted to hospital for a third time. read more
expert reaction to new report on the lifelong impact of air pollution
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) have published a report which estimates 40,000 deaths a year in the UK as being linked to air pollution. read more
the future of gas in the UK
Gas is sometimes seen as a bridging fuel between dirty coal and a low carbon future. But is that really true for the UK, and what future does it have in our energy mix? How much gas can we permit ourselves to use and still meet emission targets? And how damaging was the Chancellor’s withdrawal of support for carbon capture and storage? read more
expert reaction to study looking at weight loss of 5% body weight (and additional weight loss) and health benefits in a group of obese people
Publishing in the journal Cell Metabolism a group of researchers have looked at the effects of weight loss in obese people and report the health benefits of 5% weight loss, especially in terms of metabolism. read more
expert reaction to MenB vaccine for meningitis B, following the public petition calling for all children in the UK to be given the vaccine
A petition to give the Meningitis B vaccine to children up to the age of 11 has gathered more than 575,000 signatures, which means the matter will be debated in parliament. read more
expert reaction to study investigating a genetic test for inherited heart conditions
Publishing in the Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research group of researchers have described their efforts to develop a genetic test for diagnosis of inherited heart conditions. read more
expert reaction to paper investigating Wolbachia parasite infection of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes as a potential tool against arbovirus infection
Mosquitoes help to spread a large number of diseases which a responsible for the sickness and death of millions of people around the world each year, and a variety of efforts are underway to combat this. Publishing in the journal PLOS Pathogens a group of scientists have investigated the effectiveness of infecting Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which transmit dengue and Zika, with bacteria to reduce their capability of carrying disease. read more
expert reaction to reports of closure of three wards at Leicester Royal Infirmary following H1N1 flu infections in some cancer patients
Three wards at Leicester Royal Infirmary have been closed after a number of cancer patients were diagnosed with the H1N1 strain of influenza. read more
expert reaction to case study looking at Zika virus from amniotic fluid of foetuses with microcephaly in Brazil
An association has been suggested between the ongoing Zika outbreak and microcephaly and a paper published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal has reported the detection of the genome of the Zika virus in the amniotic fluid of two pregnant women whose foetuses were diagnosed with microcephaly. read more
expert reaction to study looking at testosterone treatment in older men with low testosterone
A group of scientists have published their work in the New England Journal of Medicine where they attempted to analyse the effect of raising testosterone levels in older men over the age of 65 with very low testosterone levels, and reported that this had a moderate benefit regarding sexual function and some benefit with regard to mood and depressive symptoms, but not with vitality. read more
expert reaction to review article discussing the potential of CRISPR/Cas9 and gene drive as possible methods of mosquito population control
The ongoing outbreak of Zika virus has brought up a number of suggestion with the aim of controlling its spread, and the use of genome editing and gene drive techniques to control mosquito populations, and hence limit the spread of the diseases which they carry, is the subject of an article in the journal Trends in Parasitology. read more
expert reaction to US study looking at cannabis use and risk of substance use disorders
Publishing in JAMA Psychiatry a group of scientists have examined the mental health effects of cannabis use and report that within the population in which they looked cannabis use was associated with increased risk for substance abuse disorders in the following years, but was not associated with any increased risk of depression anxiety. read more
expert reaction to differences between organic and conventional milk and meat
Feeding into the debate and uncertainty over whether the use of organic production standards affects food quality, researchers have published two meta-analyses in the journal British Journal of Nutrition which report the differences in nutrient content of organic and conventional bovine milk and meat. read more
differences between organic and conventional milk and meat
Feeding into the debate and uncertainty over whether the use of organic production standards affects food quality, researchers have published two meta-analyses in the journal British Journal of Nutrition which report the differences in nutrient content of organic and conventional bovine milk and meat. read more
expert reaction to study looking at probiotics, gut microbes and liver carcinoma in mice
The potential health benefits of probiotics (mixtures of live microbes used with the aim of aiding digestion) is the subject of a paper published in the journal PNAS, with the authors reporting that, in their mouse model, a probiotic mixture reduced growth and size of liver tumours, which they suggest could be due to a reduction in certain immune cells. read more