Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to the release of NICE draft guidance that it is not recommending evolocumab as a treatment for patients with high cholesterol levels
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has announced draft guidance that it is not recommending evolocumab as a treatment for patients with high cholesterol levels. read more
expert comment on Amber Rudd’s speech today on UK energy
The secretary of state for energy and climate change has announced that the UK’s coal-fired power stations will be closed by 2025, with more gas-fired stations to be built. read more
expert reaction to new study on neonicotinoid toxicity to honeybees
A paper published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B has examined the effect of neonicotinoid pesticides on honeybees and report that they are harmful to individual honeybees, but that the population as a whole can respond and recover. read more
expert reaction to disability assessments linked to suicide
The health impacts of the government’s work capability assessment is the subject of a paper published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, with the authors reporting that “the programme of reassessing people on disability benefits using the Work Capability Assessment was independently associated with an increase in suicides, self-reported mental health problems and antidepressant prescribing.” read more
expert reaction to EFSA’s conclusions on glyphosate safety
The European Food Safety Authority has published its reassessment of the safety of glyphosate, a component of herbicides. The report concludes that glyphosate is unlikely to cause cancer in humans. read more
expert reaction to new NICE guideline, ‘Menopause: diagnosis and management’ (short version)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published recommendations on diagnosis and treatment of menopause, including around the benefits and risk of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). read more
Prof Guy Poppy, Chief Scientific Adviser to the FSA
From horsemeat to campylobacter, these have been difficult times for trust in our food chain. One of the top academics grappling with issues in the food we eat is Professor Guy Poppy, the new(ish) Chief Scientific Adviser to the FSA. After the publication of his latest scientific report, the SMC has invited Guy in for a chat about his role at the FSA and his thoughts on some topical controversies in food. read more
sweeteners and weight loss
A review of studies which examine low-energy sweeteners and their effect on energy intake and body weight has been published in the International Journal of Obesity, with the authors reporting that use of such sweeteners does not increase energy intake or body weight, and when the sweeteners are used in place of sugar those measurements can be reduced. read more
expert reaction to meta-analysis of low-energy sweeteners, energy intake and body weight
A review of studies which examine low-energy sweeteners and their effect on energy intake and body weight has been published in the International Journal of Obesity, with the authors reporting that use of such sweeteners does not increase energy intake or body weight, and when the sweeteners are used in place of sugar those measurements can be reduced. read more
expert reaction to a study investigating the association between the use of macrolide antibiotics and cardiovascular risk
Publishing in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, scientists have examined a link between a specific type of antibiotics (macrolides) and cardiac events, reporting an increased risk for two specific problems in people taking such drugs. read more
the state of the climate
On 30th November, negotiators will convene for the 2015 Paris Climate Conference to try to thrash out an international agreement on climate change. We don’t know what the representatives will come up with but we do know a lot about the science behind the talks. What do the latest observations show, is IPCC AR5 looking accurate and has anything changed? What trajectory are we on, and is the policy response in step with the science? What does a +2C world actually look like, and how close are we? read more
expert reaction to a study on meat consumption, cooking methods, and kidney cancer
Researchers studying meat and a type of kidney cancer have published their work in the journal Cancer, which reports that meat consumption may increase the risk of renal cell carcinoma through compounds produced during cooking. read more
expert reaction to publication of House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee report calling for increased UK science funding
The Science and Technology Select Committee of the House of Commons has published its first report of the current session, which calls for increased funding for science and a commitment from the UK to spend 3% of GDP. read more
expert reaction to case study from GOSH of patient treated with gene-edited immune T-cells for leukaemia (unpublished work)
In work to be presented at the American Society of Haematology annual meeting in December scientists have described their work using gene editing techniques in attempt to treat a patient with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. It is thought to be the first time this technique has been attempted in a person with leukaemia. read more
gene-edited immune cells used in human patient with leukaemia – a case study
A team at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) and the UCL Institute of Child Health has used the TALENs gene editing technique to modify immune T-cells, in attempt to treat a patient with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. TALENs (Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nucleases) are molecular tools that act like scissors, cutting specific gene sequences. In this case, scientists used TALENs to engineer immune T-cells to target leukaemia cells. This is the first time this technique has been attempted in a person with leukaemia. read more
expert reaction to assessment concluding no causal link between HPV vaccine in young women and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)
The European Medicines Agency has announced that the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) has completed its scientific review of evidence on complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) in young women given the HPV vaccine, and has concluded that the evidence does not support a causal link between the vaccine and the conditions. read more
expert reaction to study looking at American fast food consumption and BMI
Publishing in the journal Obesity Science & Practice, researchers have analysed a specific nutrition survey and report that consumption of fast food or soft drinks was not correlated with body mass index (BMI). read more
the Sellafield plutonium problem
Sellafield has amassed around 140 tonnes of plutonium on site – the largest stockpile of civil plutonium in the world. For now it is being stored without a long-term plan, which is costly and insecure. At some point a decision will need to be taken on how it is dealt with. Should we convert it into useable fuel or get rid of it? What are the options? How insecure is it in its current state? How long can this decision be put off, and why does it matter? read more
expert reaction to study investigating sweetened drink consumption and risk of heart failure in Swedish men
A possible link between sweetened drinks and heart failure in men is the subject of a study published in the journal Heart, with the authors reporting that men who consumed two or more sweetened beverages per day were more likely to develop heart failure than those who were “non-consumers”. read more
expert reaction to study investigating low-fat diets, compared to other diets, and long-term weight loss
The effect of the nutrient content of a diet on its impact on long-term (more than one year) weight loss is the subject of a paper published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, in which the authors report that “low-carbohydrate” diets led to greater weight loss than “low-fat” diets. read more