Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to news of a major earthquake in Nepal
A major earthquake has hit Nepal leaving thousands dead and injured, with damage and extending to neighbouring countries. read more
expert reaction to paper presenting malaria vaccine trial results, and paper estimating malaria cases in Ebola-infected countries
Two papers have been published in the Lancet and Lancet Infectious Diseases journals: one which presents the results of a phase III clinical trial of a candidate malaria vaccine which the research team report to effective in reducing malaria transmission, and another which has estimated the number of cases of and deaths from malaria in West African countries affected by the current Ebola outbreak. read more
expert reaction to paper on genome editing of mitochondria in mice
Researchers have attempted to fix errors in mitochondrial DNA, which lead to a range of disorders, by using genome editing techniques. Publishing in the journal Cell, they report the use of the techniques in mice and suggest that they might in future be used as a therapeutic alternative to mitochondrial donation. read more
expert reaction to the application of genome editing techniques to human embryos
It has been reported that a research group in China has used the CRISPR genome editing technique to modify human embryos with a specific genetic default. Reports suggest that the scientists used non-viable fertilised embryos with only limited success in achieving the attempted modification. read more
expert reaction to editorial on sugar, carbohydrates, exercise and obesity
The link between diet, exercise and obesity is the topic of an editorial in British Journal of Sports Medicine, in which the authors argue that excess sugar and carbohydrate are the drivers behind the increase in obesity. read more
expert reaction to two new papers on bees and neonicotinoids
Two papers published in the journal Nature have examined possible effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on the health and behaviour of bees. The authors of the first paper report that in laboratory tests bees preferred neonicotinoid-treated sugar water to an untreated solution, while in field studies the authors of the second paper report that bumble-bee colonies around neonicotinoid-treated fields had reduced growth rates and reproduction. read more
expert reaction to study investigating cancer immunotherapy in mice
Researchers have published their work into immune responses and treatments of cancer in mice in the journal Nature. The team report that the identification of mutations which are individual to each patient and tumour can be used as targets for the body’s own immune system, and suggest that the treatment could be used for personalised therapy. read more
climate scientists’ statement for Earth Day
The Earth League, a group of world-leading research institutions, launched their Earth Statement on Earth Day, April 22 2015. The statement summarises recent climate science, particularly regarding risk and tipping points and outlines the key features of a climate agreement in Paris in December this year to meet the 2 degree target agreed by nations. It calls on the UN negotiators to step up their ambition to ensure an equitable and science-based global climate agreement in Paris, and will describe eight essential elements of a global climate deal from the scientists’ perspective. read more
expert reaction to editorial on serotonin and depression
In an editorial published in The BMJ, the treatment of patients with depression has been discussed with regard to serotonin and pharmaceuticals which attempt to control its levels. read more
expert reaction to mindfulness-based therapy to treat depression
Publishing in The Lancet journal, researchers have described their work to investigate the use of mindfulness-based therapies in the treatment of depression, reporting that they improved negative symptoms but were not more effective than antidepressants. read more
e-cigarettes – do they help cut down or quit smoking?
Evidence of the effectiveness of e-cigarettes as smoking cessation or reduction aids is still limited. Two new studies investigate whether frequency of use and type of e-cigarette affect whether users either cut down or stop smoking cigarettes. How do the results of these two surveys (one to be published in the journal Addiction, and the other in Nicotine & Tobacco Research) fit in with other evidence? read more
expert reaction to two new papers – investigating frequency of e-cigarette use and smoking reduction or cessation, and investigating frequency and type of e-cigarette use and quitting smoking
The relationship between e-cigarette use and smoking cessation or reduction has been explored in two papers published in the journals Addiction and Nicotine & Tobacco Research. The authors of the first paper report that daily use of e-cigarettes appears to be associated with reducing but not quitting smoking at follow-up after one year, while the authors of the other paper report that different types of e-cigarette have different effects on likelihood of quitting smoking, with the tank models (but not cigalike models) appearing to be associated with quitting cigarette smoking. read more
expert reaction to study reporting on two new drugs to treat multiple sclerosis in mice
A paper published in the journal Nature has described the use of two drugs in mouse models of multiple sclerosis, reporting the ability of the drugs to repair specific parts of damaged nerve cells and to reduce disease severity. read more
expert reaction to survey on e-cigarettes and tobacco cessation
Attempting to explore the use of e-cigarettes in smokers and their effect on quitting smoking, researchers publishing in the American Journal of Public Health have reported that smokers who had ever used e-cigarettes were less likely to quit smoking than those who had never used e-cigarettes. read more
expert reaction to surveys of e-cigarette use in teenagers
Researchers publishing in the BMJ Open have surveyed a group of school-age children in Wales to examine habits around use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes. The study reports that regular smokers were more likely than non-smokers to use e-cigarettes, and that around 1.5% of those sampled regularly used of e-cigarettes. read more
expert reaction to paper on flavour chemicals in e-cigarettes
In a study published in the journal Tobacco Control, researchers in the USA have analysed the fluid flavourings used in e-cigarettes reporting the presence of some chemicals which are known to be irritants. read more
expert reaction to depression, diabetes and dementia
As depression and diabetes are individually thought to be risk factors for dementia, a team of researchers has investigated the effects of having both depression and diabetes. Publishing in JAMA Psychiatry, the researchers report that the risk of developing dementia is greater for people with both depression and diabetes than would be expected by simple addition of the individual risks for each disease. read more
expert reaction to arginine and Alzheimer’s
A paper published in The Journal of Neuroscience has analysed the profiles of chemicals involved in immune signalling in mice which are used as a model of Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers report that the disease is associated with an immunosuppressive pattern, in contrast to previous views which see the disease driven by immunity and inflammation. The study also reports low levels of a particular component of proteins in the brains of affected mice, and drugs which countered this also reduced measures of the disease and and presence of immunosuppressive cells. read more
expert reaction to dementia and body mass index
A study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal has investigated a link between BMI and risk of dementia in a group of people in the UK aged over 40. The authors report an inverse correlation between BMI and dementia risk, contrary to previous suggestions. read more
expert reaction to paper on heritability of sexual offending in men
A paper published in the International Journal of Epidemiology has examined the relative contribution of environmental and genetic factors on sexual crime, reporting that genes may account for familial clustering of sexual offending, rather than shared environment. read more