Author Archives: Science Media Centre
scientists react to first human trial of embryonic stem cells
The trial, announced by the Geron corporation in the United States, will test a treatment for spinal injuries based on injecting spinal cells grown from embryonic stem cells into patients paralysed from chest down. The trial, the first of its kind to be approved in the US, will open the way for similar trials to take place in the UK. read more
expert encounter: are young doctors putting lives at risk through poor prescribing?
A number of the UK’s top clinical pharmacologists recently expressed their concern about the decline in the teaching of clinical pharmacology as part of medical training. They warned that poor training could lead to poor prescribing of ever more complex drug treatments, thereby putting lives at risk. Their concerns were rejected, but now Professor David Webb, one of the UK’s top clincal pharmacologists, believes that an urgent shake-up is required. He outlined his concerns at this briefing. read more
scientists react to sentencing of animal rights activists
The seven activists were sentenced to between four and eleven years for a campaign of blackmail and intimidation against companies involved in supplying Huntingdon Life Sciences read more
expert comments on study in Nature showing that Antarctica is warming faster than previously thought
Dr Gareth Marshall, Climatologist, British Antarctic Survey, said: “This work can be considered as providing the last piece of a … read more
comment on research into hospital cleaning products and nurses’ asthma risk, as published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine
The study suggested a link between nurses’ exposure to chemical-based cleaning products in hospitals and their likelihood of being diagnosed with asthma. read more
expert’s reaction to a plane’s emergency landing on the Hudson River, New York
The passenger aircraft was landed in the Hudson River after experiencing engine failure caused by bird strike. No one was killed, and only one passenger was injured. read more
experts comment on the government decision to build a third runway at Heathrow
The Government has announced its decision to go ahead with the expansion of Heathrow airport, to include a third runway and a new terminal. The announcement was accompanied by a range of new transport measures inckuding a new rail link. read more
an expert’s reaction to comments made by Graham Stringer MP about dyslexia
Mr Stringer suggested that dyslexia is a ‘myth’ used to cover up evidence of poor teaching. read more
scientists comment on the EU vote to prohibit the use of some compounds used in agricultural pesticides
Prof James Brown, an expert in breeding crops for resistance to disease at the John Innes Centre, said: “Plant breeders … read more
experts comment on stem cell funding story
The story, which appeared in the Independent newspaper, suggested that two applications for funding to do research on human-animal hybrid embryos may have been turned down because of moral objections. read more
experts comment on study suggesting Alzheimer’s drugs double the risk of death, to be published in Lancet Neurology
Researchers at Kings College London found an elevated risk of premature death among Alzheimer’s patients given anti-psychotic drugs to control their symptoms. read more
brains needed for research
Brains need to be donated for medical research if we are to have any hope of finding a cure for diseases such as Alzheimer’s, autism and Parkinson’s. Suitable brains are hard to come by and scientists are in extremely short supply, which means that research may soon grind to a halt. Experts at this background briefing answered questions including how many brains we have and how many are needed, and what they will enable us to do in terms of research towards treatments for these diseases. read more
expert reaction to the conviction of animal rights activists for intimidation campaign against companies supplying Huntingdon Life Sciences
Seven animal rights activists have been convicted of mounting a sustained campaign of intimidation and blackmail against companies involved with Huntingdon Life Sciences. read more
experts comment on MORI poll on the teaching of creationism in schools
The poll of primary and secondary school teachers found that nearly half disagree with the teaching of creationism alongside evolution in science lessons in England and Wales, rising to two out of three among teachers who specialise in science. read more
experts comment on new research into iPS cells and spinal muscular atrophy, as published in Nature
The study, from researchers in the United States, is the first to show that induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, which are capable of becoming any other type of cell, can be used to model the pathology of the genetic muscle-wasting disease spinal muscular atrophy. The cells were derived from skin cells taken from a child with the disease, and are therefore genetically identical. read more
experts react to pregnancy involving PGD for breast cancer
A woman from London will shortly become the first in the UK to give birth to a baby that has been screened to be free of a gene that significantly raises the risk of breast cancer, using the technique of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) in which embryos are selected for implantation based on identified genetic characteristics. read more
the state of UK fish stocks
To coincide with the publication of the annual UK & EU fish quotas, and the long awaited UK Marine Bill, this background briefing was run to allow some of the UK’s top marine experts to dispel some of the common myths surrounding fish stocks and quotas, and address some of the real issues, including the real state of fish stocks and how quotas are created and utilised. read more
publication of WHO/UNICEF Global Report on Child Accidental Injuries
This briefing was run in collaboration with the World Health Organisation to launch a report which represents the first global assessment of accidental injuries affecting children; a significant number of children are killed each year by such injuries, and non-fatal injuries can have far-reaching consequences, often leaving children with lifelong disabilities. The report presents a comprehensive analysis of the situation worldwide, ranks the leading causes of deaths, evaluates which prevention measures work and which don’t and outlines recommendations that will save lives and prevent unnecessary suffering. Experts involved in the report presented their findings in these areas, and discussed how the UK compares to other countries and how it is performing on preventing these accidents. read more
experts respond to the news that high levels of dioxins have been found in slaughtered pigs in the Republic of Ireland
Irish pork products were withdrawn from sale across Europe as a precautionary measure after high levels of the chemicals were discovered in meat from the country. However, the risk assessment suggested no immediate risk to humans. The incident was believed to have been caused by contamination of animal feed. read more
expert comment on research suggesting link between intelligence and semen quality, as published in the journal Intelligence
Researchers found evidence for a positive correlation between cognitive ability and three key indicators of sperm quality. read more