Latest Research News

Scientists grow brain cells in lab
Scientists have grown brain cells in a laboratory for the first time. The technique could lead to cures for diseases such as Parkinson's, epilepsy and Alzheimer's, researchers claim. A team from Florida University used stem cells, to create fully formed rodent brain cells.
The Evening Standard, The Independent

RAE 2008 reaches crucial stage
The game is in full swing, but the rules won't be made public until next month. Welcome to the alternative universe of Britain's unique research assessment exercise, which reaches a crucial stage this summer. The 15 panels and 67 subpanels - filled by 900 academic experts in everything from physics to performing arts - are about to publish the criteria by which they will assess every active researcher in the UK. On these rules of the game will depend their verdicts given in 2008, and on these ratings will depend an estimated £10 billion in funding over the subsequent six years.
The Guardian

Here's how smoking and obesity can age you
Smokers and obese people are biologically “older” than their contemporaries, British scientists have discovered. Research at St Thomas’ Hospital, London, has revealed that both smoking and obesity can accelerate a form of genetic decline associated with ageing that is thought to contribute to conditions such as heart disease and cancer. The study shows that women who smoke and those who are obese have shorter than normal telomeres - genetic structures that protect DNA from age-related damage.
The Times, The Guardian

Cancer drug may prevent miscarriage
A drug used to treat cancer may be able to prevent miscarriage and premature birth, researchers have said. Scientists believe that trichostatin A, which is used to treat bowel, breast and lung cancer, can interrupt the chain of events that causes a miscarriage. Nick Europe-Finner of the research team from Newcastle University said: "Many people think that premature births are no longer a problem and would be astonished to know that, even in a sophisticated, developed nation such as the United Kingdom, there are still about 10 per cent of births that are classed as premature."
The Daily Telegraph, The Scotsman

Calcium-rich diets may prevent PMS
Encouraging women to eat a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D could prevent the development of clinical premenstrual syndrome, suggests a new US study. The findings suggest that by consuming four servings of low-fat dairy products a day, women can reduce their risk of developing the disorder by almost 50 per cent. “These are women whose lives are really being impaired for several days a month. It is a much more severe end of the spectrum than being cranky for a couple of days,” said Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, US, who led the study.
New Scientist

Search for body's 'repair kit' is medicine's Holy Grail
The importance of the latest study into brain repair is the power it gives scientists to pin-point the vital stem cells that are capable of developing into mature nerve cells. If scientists can harness stem cells in the brain it offers the prospect of regenerating nerve tissues that would otherwise remain damaged for life. It could lead to effective treatments and even cures for chronic debilitating conditions from inherited disorders such as Huntington's disease to severe brain damage resulting from traffic accidents.
The Independent

Giant balls of mucus fertilise the ocean
Researchers have found that balls of mucus from gelatinous sea creatures called larvaceans can be a major source of food for life on the ocean floor. Scientists have long wondered about the origin of the food eaten by creatures that live near the ocean floor. Carbon from the remains of dead fish, plankton and other detritus of marine life is known to trickle down through the water. But measurements have indicated that this slow 'rain' of particulates is not enough to sustain the life below.
Nature