Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to study looking at BRCA1 gene, breast cancer precursor cells in lab, and inhibitor of protein called RANK
Genetic differences in breast cancer patients and how they might be used to inform treatment choices is the subject of a paper published in the journal Nature Medicine with the authors reporting their identification of a marker which could be targeted in BRCA1 patients. read more
expert reaction to gut bacteria and social behaviour in mice
Publishing in the journal Cell a group of scientists have published their research working on mice which reports that a high fat diet of the mother can bring about a shift in gut microbes that negatively impacts the social behaviour of the offspring mice. read more
Food safety & authenticity: Laboratory of the Government Chemist conference
The annual conference of the Laboratory of the Government Chemist (LGC), an independent company that carries out food testing and analysis, will take place on 21-22 June 2016. This meeting brings together scientists, regulators, enforcement agencies, industry, and policy makers to discuss food fraud, authenticity and safety. Ahead of the conference, a panel of experts came to the SMC to discuss these issues and update journalists on the progress made in food safety and authenticity in the years since the horse meat scandal. read more
expert reaction to report calling for decriminalisation of drugs – Taking a New Line on Drugs
The Royal Society for Public Health and the Faculty of Public Health have released a report which discusses the current and possible strategies for dealing with legal and illegal drugs and calls for decriminalisation. read more
expert reaction to IARC Evaluation of the carcinogenicity of Coffee, Maté and Very Hot Beverages (IARC Monographs volume 116)
The World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) issued its latest report that classified very hot drinks as group 2A carcinogens, meaning they are “probably carcinogenic to humans”, while coffee and maté (a herbal drink) served cold were in group three, which means there was insufficient evidence to suggest they cause cancer. read more
background comments ahead of this afternoon’s IARC Evaluation of the carcinogenicity of Coffee, Maté and Very Hot Beverages (IARC Monographs volume 116)
The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is expected to make an announcement later on the carcinogenicity of coffee and other hot drinks. read more
expert reaction to conference talk (unpublished work) on soft-core pornography and attitudes towards women, to be talked about at the Annual Conference of the British Psychological Society’s Division of Forensic Psychology
A talk given at the Annual Conference of the British Psychological Society’s Division of Forensic Psychology based on unpublished work reported on possible relationship between accessing soft-core pornography and attitudes towards women. read more
expert reaction to editorial on the revised UK Eatwell Plate
An opinion piece published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has argued that the Eatwell Plate, which is based on the government’s dietary advice, does not serve public health. read more
expert reaction to study on e-cigarettes and future cigarette use
The effect of e-cigarettes on the risk of taking up smoking is the subject of a paper published in the journal Pediatrics which reports that youths who never smoked but use e-cigarettes may have an increased risk of subsequently taking up smoking when they are legally allowed to purchase tobacco products. read more
expert reaction to systematic review reporting lack of an association between LDL cholesterol and mortality in the elderly
The contribution which different types of cholesterol make to risk of death from cardiovascular diseases is the subject of a paper published in the BMJ Open, which reports an inverse association between levels of ‘bad’ (LDL) cholesterol and mortality in most people over 60 years old. read more
expert reaction to trial of stem cell transplantation (with chemotherapy) and multiple sclerosis
A paper published in the Lancet journal has looked at treatment of multiple sclerosis and reports the efficacy of chemotherapy to ablate the immune system followed by a stem cell transplant. read more
expert reaction to study investigating the global risk factors for stroke
A systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 published in The Lancet Neurology reports that modifiable risk factors, such as behavioural and environmental factors, contribute to 90% of the global stroke burden. read more
expert reaction to antidepressant use in children and teens
While major depressive disorder is one of the most common mental disorders in children and adolescents, the use of pharmacological intervention to treat it remains controversial. A meta-analysis published in the Lancet reported that of 14 different antidepressants trialled in children, only one was significantly more effective than a placebo. read more
latest research on the safety and efficacy of mitochondrial donation therapy
A team from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Donation presented results from their research into the safety of efficacy of the IVF-based technique known as mitochondrial donation. Mitochondrial donation involves transplanting the nuclear DNA of a recently formed embryo into an embryo which contains the mitochondrial DNA of a donor woman. The technique was designed to reduce the risk of mothers passing on mitochondrial disease, which is devastating and often life-limiting, to their children. A vote in the House of Commons in February 2015 made the technique legal in the UK but the first license has not yet been issued to a clinic. read more
expert reaction to preclinical application of pronuclear transfer to prevent mitochondrial DNA disease
Faulty mitochondria contribute to a range of diseases and a research group working towards the use of mitochondrial donation techniques for women at risk of passing on those diseases to their children have described their preclinical work in the journal Nature. They report that embryos which underwent the donation techniques were largely similar to normal ones, and that they were able to minimise ‘carryover’ of the original faulty mitochondria to the new embryo. read more
expert reaction to Noel Edmonds’ statements about negative energy and cancer
Tweets from television presenter Noel Edmonds endorsing the use of an electromagnetic pulse machine to treat cancer and asserting that ill health is caused by ‘negative energy’ have been met with widespread criticism from the general public. read more
expert reaction to new NSIDC snow and ice data
The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) has released a report which states: “Daily Arctic sea ice extents for May 2016 tracked two to four weeks ahead of levels seen in 2012, which had the lowest September extent in the satellite record.” read more
Mediterranean diet, fat levels and body weight
The effect of a high-fat Mediterranean diet on body weight is examined in a paper published in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal in which the authors report an unrestricted-calorie, high-vegetable-fat Mediterranean diet was associated with decreases in bodyweight in older people at risk of cardiovascular disease. read more
expert reaction to Down’s syndrome and green tea compound
Publishing in The Lancet Neurology journal a group of scientists have described their use of a particular extract of green tea to try to improve cognition of young adults with Down’s syndrome and report that the extract improved memory and behavioural aspects better than the placebo control. read more
expert reaction to study looking at Mediterranean diet, levels of fat and body weight
The effect of a high-fat Mediterranean diet on body weight was examined in a randomised controlled trial published in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology in which the authors reported an unrestricted-calorie, high-vegetable-fat Mediterranean diet was not associated with weight gain when compared to an unrestricted-calorie, lower-fat diet in older people at risk of cardiovascular disease. read more