Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to red meat intake and breast cancer incidence
An epidemiological study in the BMJ reported higher red meat intake in early adulthood might be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. read more
expert reaction to new study on GM mosquitoes which produce male-only offspring
Nature Communications published a study showing that genetically modifying mosquitos to distort the sex ratio of their offspring suppressed their breeding capabilities as a population. read more
expert reaction to mobile phones and sperm quality
A systematic review and meta-analysis of ten studies published in Environment International, comprising controlled in vitro and observational in vivo studies, reported lower sperm motility and viability for men carrying a mobile phone in their trouser pocket read more
expert reaction to cost of autism
JAMA Pediatrics published a literature review of US and UK studies on patients with autism spectrum disorders in 2013 to examine costs and economic impact, reporting that lifetime costs for supporting patients was substantially higher than previous estimates. read more
expert reaction to divorce and childhood obesity
Research published in the journal BMJ Open reported a correlation between divorce and a higher risk of overweight and obesity among children affected by the marital split, in particular for boys, in a sample of pupils from Norway. read more
expert reaction to blood poisoning in babies from Bacillus cereus infection
One premature baby has died and 14 are ill with blood poisoning in six hospitals after apparently being given a batch of liquid food contaminated with Bacillus cereus. read more
expert reaction to reported camel-to-human MERS-CoV transmission
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) viruses found in … read more
expert encounter: Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of the GAVI Alliance
Dr Seth Berkley, epidemiologist and CEO of the GAVI Alliance (formerly the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) made a brief visit to the UK to share his insights into how vaccines are changing the worldwide public health landscape. One of the most important figures in vaccine technology and delivery came to the SMC to talk to journalists. read more
expert reaction to the latest figures on MERS fatalities
Saudi Arabian authorities upped the official number of people confirmed to have been killed by the MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) virus to 282. read more
expert reaction to HFEA’s third scientific review into safety and efficacy of mitochondria replacement
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) was asked by government to reconvene its core panel of experts to review the latest evidence on the safety and efficacy of mitochondrial donation techniques, recommending that they be considered ‘not unsafe’ for use on a ‘specific and defined group of patients’. read more
results of the HFEA’s third scientific review into the safety and efficacy of mitochondria replacement
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) was asked by government to reconvene its core panel of experts to review the latest evidence on the safety and efficacy of the two mitochondrial donation techniques: pro-nuclear transfer (PNT) and maternal spindle transfer (MST). The authors of the report came to the SMC to talk about the safety and efficacy of mitochondrial replacement. read more
expert reaction to autism and hormone levels
A study published in Molecular Psychiatry reported that elevated levels of steroid hormones in amniotic fluid may contribute to the development of autism, but the authors stressed their findings do not justify prenatal screening or for treatments that target steroid hormones. read more
expert reaction to identification of new coronavirus inhibitor, as published in PLOS Pathogens
A paper published in PLOS Pathogens reports to have identified a new coronavirus inhibitor that could be effective against SARS, MERS and other coronaviruses. read more
expert reaction to global prevalence of obesity study and commentary as published in The Lancet
A systematic analysis of the national and global prevalence of obesity was published in The Lancet. read more
expert reaction to lasers and dental stem cell differentiation, as published in Science Translational Medicine
A paper published in Science Translational Medicine reported that laser light could regenerate lost tooth structure by stimulating dentin growth in rats read more
expert reaction to European Commission response to ‘One of Us’ European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) on human embryo use
The European Commission issued a response to the ‘One of Us’ European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) on human embryo use in medical research. read more
expert reaction to genetic testing for familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) by the British Heart Foundation (BHF)
The British Heart Foundation has announced funding of more than £1 million to introduce a new genetic testing programme for a high cholesterol condition, Familial hypercholestrolaemia read more
expert reaction to personal view article on sugar-sweetened drinks and obesity warnings, as published in the BMJ
Prof Simon Capewell has written a Personal View article in the BMJ, in which he details why he thinks sugar sweetened drinks should carry health warnings. read more
expert reaction to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and brain imaging as published in PLOS One
A paper published in PLOS One reported that patients suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)/ME showed decreased activation in the basal ganglia read more
do e-cigarettes help smokers to quit?
We often hear anecdotes about e-cigarettes helping people to quit smoking – but what does the science say? A new study to be published in the journal Addiction provides the first evidence of e-cigarettes’ impact on quitting, based on a survey of 5,863 smokers in England between 2009 and 2014 as part of the Smoking Toolkit Study. read more