Author Archives: Science Media Centre
quality of death: the evidence on palliative care
Death is one of the very few things that happens to us all, yet as a society we are surprisingly bad at talking about it. Recent debate about the Liverpool Care Pathway has brought some of the issues to the fore, but how much do we really know about palliative and end of life care? How should we treat those in their final days, and is there ever such a thing as a ‘good death’? read more
expert reaction to the EFSA’s draft evaluation of the safety of aspartame
In a draft of the European Food Safety Authority’s re-evaluation of the safety of the artificial sweetener aspartame, the panel of experts concluded that aspartame poses “no toxicity concern for consumers at current levels of exposure”. read more
expert reaction to story that Met Office data shows global warming has stopped
Data published by the Met Office in December 2012, predicting global temperature changes to 2017, was interpreted as implying that global warming had stopped. read more
asthma in children: new research into tailored treatments
Asthma is a common chronic illness affecting more than a million children and young people in the UK. Current treatment approaches use different medications depending on the severity and persistence of symptoms. But research has suggested a particular genotype is associated with exacerbations in asthmatic children exposed daily to popularly prescribed medications, and these findings have now been tested directly in the community. read more
expert reaction to new research into asthma treatments for children
A paper in the journal Clinical Science outlined how a simple genetic test can show whether asthmatic children have a certain genotype which prevents commonly prescribed asthma medication from being effective. read more
expert reaction to the impacts of biofuel cultivation on human health and crop yields
Findings published in Nature Climate Change suggest large-scale cultivation of biofuels in Europe could lead to increased human mortality and crop losses. read more
expert reaction to the first hand transplant in the UK
A 51-year-old man became the first person in the UK to have a hand transplant after surgery at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI). The patient underwent the complex eight-hour procedure on December 27 when a donor hand became available. read more
expert reaction to MET office preliminary analysis of UK rainfall in 2012
Provisional statistics from the Met Office showed 2012 was the second wettest year in the UK national record dating back to 1910, just a few millimetres short of the record set in 2000. read more
expert reaction to the creation of cancer-specific killer T cells from iPS cells
Researchers in Japan revealed in the journal Cell Stem Cell that they created cancer-specific, immune system cells called killer T lymphocytes, from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells). read more
experts comment on the Neon Roberts radiotherapy court case
A high court judge ruled that seven-year old Neon Roberts, suffering from a cancerous brain tumour, should have radiotherapy against the wishes of his mother. read more
expert reaction to news of multiple shooting in the US state of Connecticut
On Friday 14 December, Adam Lanza opened fire at the Sandy Hook school in Newtown, Connecticut, killing 20 children and six adults. read more
treating cancer in children – what does the science say?
Due to the recent high profile case, children’s cancer therapies are constantly in the news. The SMC brought together some leading experts to discuss the evidence behind the therapies currently being used. read more
expert reaction to leak of IPCC AR5 WG1
A climate sceptic blogger leaked part of a draft version of the IPCC’s Assessment Report 5 by Working Group 1, … read more
expert reaction to resumption of fracking in the UK
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey announced that exploratory hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for shale gas can resume in the UK, subject to new controls to mitigate the risks of seismic activity. read more
expert reaction to review of effectiveness of Sativex (cannabis extract) for MS
A review in Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin called into question the evidence backing the use of cannabis extract in the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). read more
expert response to new Climate Change Committee report
The Climate Change Committee launched a report assessing the impact of carbon budgets on energy bills and confirms that annual household energy bills could increase by £100 in 2020 to support development of low-carbon technologies. read more
expert reaction to new research on a drug which may reduce some symptoms of autism
Research published in Translational Psychiatry suggested the diuretic bumetanide may mitigate some of the behavioral abnormalities associated with autism. read more
expert reaction to new research into loneliness and the onset of dementia
Feeling lonely was linked to an increased risk of developing dementia in later life, according to research published in the … read more
expert reaction to the end of the HFEA mitochondria consultation
Launched at an SMC briefing in September 2012, the public consultation into emerging techniques designed to prevent mitochondrial disease closed on the 7th December. read more
expert reaction to announcement of NHS DNA database
David Cameron announced plans to launch a clinical DNA-reading service, focusing on patients with cancer and rare diseases, as part of efforts to open National Health Service data to medical research. read more