Latest research news

Scientists oppose Cambridge primate lab proposal
Nine academics write that experiments on primates cannot be justified in view of the important biological differences between people and primates. They argue that although the Cambridge University proposal to build its new primate laboratory would undoubtedly reap financial benefits, it would not benefit human medicine.
(Daily Telegraph)

Cancer vaccine helps patients live longer
A revolutionary vaccine is raising hopes of a cure for pancreatic cancer, which kills nearly all sufferers within two years. A vaccine, designed to make the tumour self-destruct, is credited with keeping a number of patients alive and disease-free beyond two years, a New York researcher told delegates at the European Cancer Conference in Copenhagen.
(Daily Mail, Independent, Daily Telegraph)

Scientists demand ban on baby cloning
Cloning human beings should be the subject of a worldwide ban, leading scientists from across the globe urged the United Nations yesterday. "Animal studies on reproductive cloning show a high incidence of foetal disorders and spontaneous abortions, and of malformation and death among young newborns," said Lord May, president of the Royal Society.
(Daily Mail, Times, Guardian)

Passive smoking may speed cancer growth
Passive smoking may speed the growth of tumours by prompting new blood vessels to form, a new study suggests. The finding strengthens the link between second hand tobacco fumes and lung cancer, and could aid the development of therapies for tobacco-related diseases.
(Nature)

Arctic ice shelf splits
The largest ice shelf in the Arctic has fractured, releasing all the water from the freshwater lake it dammed. The Ward Hunt Ice Shelf is located on the north coast of Ellesmere Island in Canada's Nunavut territory. The huge mass of floating ice, which has been in place for at least 3,000 years, is now in two major pieces.
(BBC)

Stampeding mice behave like fleeing humans
A series of experiments on how panicked mice escape an enclosed area shows that they behave in much the way computer models predict that panicked humans would. This verification provides important new information for preventing future human disasters, the study's authors say.
(New Scientist)