Author Archives: Science Media Centre
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expert reaction to case study from GOSH of patient treated with gene-edited immune T-cells for leukaemia (unpublished work)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
expert reaction to Defra confirmation of recall of unauthorised GM seed
The GM Inspectorate of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has confirmed that it has found the unintended presence of genetically modified seed in a batch of conventional oilseed rape imported from France, with seed from the same batch being recalled. A statement said: “there is no risk to adjacent crops or the wider environment”. read more
expert reaction to two new studies investigating statins and the immune response to flu vaccine in the elderly
Two studies have been published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases which report that statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs) have a negative impact on the effectiveness of flu vaccines in elderly patients. read more
expert reaction in anticipation of The Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015 coming into force
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015 are expected to come into force on Thursday 29th October, at which point licencing of clinics to use new techniques with the aim of preventing mitochondrial diseases could be allowed. read more
CFS/ME: PACE trial follow-up study
CFS/ME affects around 250,000 people in the UK and in severe cases results in patients being mostly bedridden and unable to do more than minimal daily tasks. The PACE trial, published in 2011, suggested that Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Graded Exercise Therapy (GET) were moderately effective ways of treating people. A subsequent PACE trial follow-up study, published in The Lancet Psychiatry in January 2015, attempted to explain how and why these therapies work and what the implications were. Now, a follow-up study, also published in The Lancet Psychiatry, has assessed the participants’ health in the long-term, and asks whether their current state of health, two and a half years after entering the trial, has been affected by which treatment they received in the trial. read more
what do we know about how neonicotinoids affect bees?
Whether neonicotinoids harm bees and other insect pollinators is one of the most contentious questions that environmental policy makers have to grapple with today. In the last ten years over 400 scientific papers have been published on this topic, some contradicting each other, making it very difficult for non-specialists to access the entire evidence base. 18 months ago the Oxford Martin School at Oxford University brought together a group of experts in pollinator biology, with contrasting backgrounds and views, to review the evidence and to present it as a “restatement”: a concise summary intelligible to the non-specialist. In doing this the scientists aim to act as “honest brokers” – providing an account of the evidence and its imperfections but not directly recommending policies. read more
expert reaction to long-term follow-up study from the PACE trial on rehabilitative treatments for CFS/ME, and accompanying comment piece
A paper published in The Lancet Psychiatry reports results of a long-term follow-up study to the PACE trial for CFS/ME. The study has assessed the original trial participants’ health in the long-term, and asks whether their current state of health, two and a half years after entering the trial, has been affected by which treatment they received in the trial. read more
Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC
The UN’s top climate official, Christiana Figueres, was in London in advance of COP-21. Journalists came to the SMC to hear one of the most important figures in international climate negotiations talk about her hopes and expectations for Paris. read more
expert reaction to a reported case of anthrax in a cow on a Wiltshire farm
Public Health England has confirmed that a case of anthrax, a bacterial disease, has occurred in a cow on a farm in Wiltshire. read more
expert reaction to study investigating fructose restriction and metabolic measures in obese children
The effect of the limitation of sugar in the diet of a small group of children with obesity is the subject of a paper published in the journal Obesity, with the authors reporting that they observed favourable metabolic outcomes including weight loss. read more