Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to paper on salt intake, mortality and cardiovascular disease
Researchers publishing in JAMA Internal Medicine have examined the relationship between salt consumption and cardiovascular disease, heart failure, and death. The team focused on adults aged 71-80 and monitored them for ten years, finding that there wasn’t an association between the negative outcomes which they monitored and salt intake. read more
expert reaction to new study reporting new ‘molecular scissors’ technique in mice
A study published in the journal Scientific Reports has described the use of a technique to edit specific genes in eggs or sperm at the time of fertilisation, which the research team suggest may have potentially have therapeutic benefits. read more
expert reaction to confirmation that 2014 was the hottest year on record
Researchers in the US from Nasa and Noaa have confirmed that 2014 was the warmest year on record globally. read more
expert reaction to reports of suspected case of Ebola in Northampton hospital
A woman who is suspected of being infected with the Ebola virus is being tested at Northampton General Hospital. read more
expert reaction to new research on sea level rise
A paper published in the journal Nature has estimated the degree to which sea levels rose in the twentieth century. The researchers report increases in sea levels which are in line with previous estimates for the period of 1993-2010, but which are higher than previous estimates for the period of 1901-1990. read more
expert reaction to study looking at brain cooling and neurodegeneration
A study published in the journal Nature has examined the effects of cooling the brain, such as happens during hibernation, on neurodegenerative disorders. The researchers point to the protection of brain cells despite the loss of connections between them during hibernation as a process which can be used to treat diseases such as Alzheimer’s. read more
CFS/ME: The next step in the controversy
CFS/ME (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis) is a disease primarily characterised by extreme exhaustion that leaves many patients unable to perform even basic activities or look after themselves. Whilst there is currently no cure and the disease is poorly understood, cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and graded exercise therapy (GET) have proved to be the most effective treatments for managing symptoms and improving physical function. read more
expert reaction to the EU decision to allow individual member states to prohibit cultivation of GM crops
The European Parliament has passed a new law which allows individual member states more flexibility in their regulation of genetically modified crops. read more
expert reaction to news that the UK nurse with Ebola is no longer critically ill
The condition of the British nurse who is being treated for Ebola at the Royal Free Hospital in London is improving, and is no longer critical. read more
expert reaction to review of drugs paid for by the Cancer Drugs Fund
NHS England has reviewed the Cancer Drugs Fund and announced that twenty five different treatments will no longer be funded by it. The Fund is forecast to be £100m over budget this year. read more
expert reaction to WHO second high-level meeting on Ebola vaccines access and financing
The World Health Organization has given an update on the current status of the development of vaccines against the Ebola virus. read more
expert reaction to ritual circumcision and autism
Researchers publishing in the journal Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine have reported an association between ritual circumcision and autism, stating that the risk of autism spectrum disorder was increased for boys who underwent circumcision. read more
expert reaction to neural implants in rats with paralyzing spinal cord injury
A study published in the journal Science have used electrical and chemical stimulation to recapitulate movement in rats with spinal cord injury. They report the use of an implant on the surface of the brain or spinal cord, which is also able to monitor output from the brain. read more
expert reaction to forthcoming review of drugs paid for by the Cancer Drugs Fund
NHS England has re-evaluated the availability of a number of drugs to patients through the Cancer Drugs Fund. read more
expert reaction to identification of a new antibiotic, effective in treating mice
A study published in the journal Nature has reported the discovery of a new antibiotic from a screen of soil bacteria, and its use in mice to treat MRSA and S. pneumoniae infections. They state an inability to grow bacterial mutants which were resistant to the antibiotic, suggesting that it may be useful for developing treatments for use in humans. read more
fossil fuels – how much can we afford to extract?
Burning fossil fuels produces CO2. It has long been argued that if we are to limit the effects of climate change, some fossil fuel reserves must stay in the ground. But how much of each fuel; and which locations must remain untapped? read more
expert reaction to study looking at the safety of assisted reproductive technology in the US
A paper published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has examined the rates of complications in donors and patients involved in assisted reproductive technology in the US, reporting few significant changes in outcomes over time. read more
expert reaction to update on condition of UK nurse with Ebola, plus update on UK screening from Jeremy Hunt
The condition of the British nurse being treated in a London hospital for Ebola is said to have improved. The health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has also announced changes to the screening procedure for Ebola at the UK border. read more
expert reaction to new study investigating pill given daily to obese mice that then stopped gaining weight
Researchers publishing in the journal Nature Medicine have reported that in mice, the activation of a receptor in certain cells improved a number of different metabolic outcomes such as weight. They suggest that this mechanism may be used for treatment of metabolic disorders and obesity. read more
expert reaction to condition of UK nurse with Ebola
The condition of the British nurse being treated for Ebola in London has deteriorated. read more