Author Archives: Science Media Centre
Cochrane review of evidence on vitamin D as a treatment for asthma
The relationship between vitamin D levels and asthma has been a frequent topic of research, and low levels of the vitamin have been linked to an increased risk of asthma attacks in both adults and children. However, the evidence for the potential role of vitamin D in managing asthma symptoms and attacks has not been fully evaluated until now. A new Cochrane Review has investigated whether vitamin D supplements can prevent asthma attacks or improve control of symptoms. The review has evaluated nine trials including both adults and children, and judged the studies included to be of high quality. read more
expert reaction to study on e-cig advertising
A paper published in the journal Tobacco Control has reported that exposure to e-cigarette adverts could lower the perceived health risks … read more
expert reaction to conference talk (unpublished work) on early life antibiotic use and development of allergies
A presentation of unpublished work at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress has examined the effects of exposure to antibiotics early in life and reports a relationship with increased risk of eczema and hayfever. read more
expert reaction to magnetite, air pollution and Alzheimer’s
A paper published in the journal PNAS has reported the identification of the mineral magnetite in human brains. The mineral has been implicated in negative health consequences and the authors suggest that the samples originate from air pollution. read more
expert reaction to paper reporting use of CRISPR anti-cancer therapies in mice
The use of the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing system for the regulation of genes with the aim of rewiring cancer cells in vitro is reported in the journal Nature Methods. read more
expert reaction to PHE-released figures of number of cases of meningitis B since the MenB vaccination programme was started
The number of cases of meningitis B has fallen since the introduction of a vaccination programme one year ago. read more
CBT – does it really work?
Many people are concerned about over-medicalisation and the use of pharmaceutical therapies such as antidepressants. This concern has coincided with a rise in the use of psychological therapies, particularly Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). However, do we know how strong the evidence for CBT actually is? Is it really just talking, or would that even matter as long as it works? Is the evidence only strong for certain disorders and can it cause harm, even when used correctly? read more
expert reaction to paper mapping climate and air travel and identifies countries in Africa and Asia at risk of Zika virus
A group of researchers publishing in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal have applied modelling methods to examine the potential areas for future Zika virus outbreaks, based on air travel patterns from virus-affected areas and locations of the mosquito vector. They reported which countries in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region are vulnerable to the virus. read more
expert reaction to study looking at alcohol intake and female fertility
Publishing in the BMJ a group of researchers have investigated the effect of alcohol consumption on fertility in women and report that consumption of fewer than 14 servings of alcohol per week had no discernible effect. read more
expert reaction to study looking at marijuana use in the USA and perception of harm
The extent of marijuana use in the USA is explored in a paper published in the Lancet Psychiatry journal with the authors reporting an increase in prevalence and frequency of use in adults since 2007 alongside a decreased perception of harm from the drug. read more
expert reaction to amyloid therapy for Alzheimer’s
An antibody therapy for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease has been described in a paper published in the journal Nature in which the authors report its use in animals and a small number of patients where the treatment was able to reduce amyloid plaques which are thought to contribute to the disease. read more
expert reaction to opinion piece on the ethics of human-animal embryo research in the USA
An opinion piece published in the journal PLOS Biology has argued that ethical concerns around research on human-animal embryo mixes in the USA could be better addressed. read more
expert reaction to metabolic features of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS/ME)
A group of researchers publishing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) have examined the metabolic features of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME) and report a number of differences in various metabolic pathways. read more
expert reaction to earthquake in Amatrice, Italy
There are reports that a magnitude 6.2 earthquake has struck central Italy leaving many dead and missing. read more
expert reaction to a study, review and editorial looking at the effect on perinatal outcomes of different IVF culture media
Three articles published in the journal Human Reproduction have examined the effect of different liquids used for maintaining IVF embryos and report that the composition can influence success of implantation and pregnancy as well as other factors. read more
expert reaction to study investigating the long-term outcomes associated with traumatic brain injury in childhood
Researchers publishing in PLOS Medicine have assessed the long-term impact of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in young people and looked at the effect on early death, educational attainment, welfare requirements and need for psychiatric care. The study involved a large number of Swedish people who recorded a TBI (including concussion) before the age of 25 and compared them to siblings and others who had not had these injuries. read more
long-term impact of traumatic brain injuries in young people
Concerns over the long-term impacts of head injuries have frequently made the news, but the focus has largely been on professional sports players. Researchers have now assessed the long-term impact of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in young people and looked at the effect on early death, educational attainment, welfare requirements and need for psychiatric care. The study, published in PLOS Medicine, involved a large number of Swedish people who recorded a TBI (including concussion) before the age of 25 and compared them to siblings and others who had not had these injuries. read more
expert reaction to a study looking at the effect of the Zika virus on neural progenitors in the adult mouse brain
The Zika virus is known to negatively impact the growth of fetal brains and a group of researchers publishing in the journal Cell Stem Cell have investigated the effect of Zika on the adult brain reporting that infection can lead to cell death and reduced proliferation. read more
expert reaction to study investigating response to insulin in adipose tissue and the metabolic healthiness of obese individuals
Writing in the journal Cell Reports a group of scientists have reported that ‘metabolically healthy’ obese individual display similar genetic profiles to ‘metabolically unhealthy’ individuals in response to insulin suggesting that healthy obesity may be a false assertion. read more
expert reaction to childhood obesity strategy
The government has released its plan to tackle childhood obesity. read more