| Dwarf galaxies gobbled by giants Astronomers spot the tell-tale signs of so-called "dwarf galaxies" being digested by much bigger spiral galaxies. bbc.co.uk |
Archaeologists find theater box at Herod's palace By 2010-09-21T18:19:53ZJERUSALEM (AP) -- Israeli archaeologists have excavated a lavish, private theater box in a 400-seat facility at King Herod's winter palace in the Judean desert.... hosted.ap.org |
Letters: Loss of science base will hurt economy The spectre of scientists abandoning the UK for better-funded jobs abroad (Scientists quit Britain in new brain drain, 1 October) should be of huge concern to everyone. Success starts with talent, and an exodus of researchers would jeopardise both scientific endeavour and the chance to create a sustainable economic recovery driven by knowledge-based industries such as bioscience. James Dyson has outlined a viable way forward, focused on improving the way we commercialise research through measures such as extending R&D tax credits. This is the type of strategy we need from the government – one that invests intelligently in our talent base, together with initiatives such as the "patent box" tax incentive, which would show that Britain can still be a world leader in science, despite the challenging times, by encouraging companies to exploit intellectual property in the UK.Britain boasts four out of 10 of the top universities in the world – a huge feat given our relative size as a country. Indeed, there are so many reasons to be optimistic about the future of science in the UK. Ultimately, it is people that are our greatest asset, and that means both industry collaboration, such as the upcoming BIA and ABPI joint conference on the UK's R&D strengths, and government support for sustained investment, which ensures the UK continues to shine on the world stage.Nigel GaymondChief executive, BioIndustry Association • People living with severe and progressive muscle disease fear cuts will bring research into these conditions to a near standstill. Since it was founded in 1959, we have has invested more than £50m into research and it is only in the last few years that scientists have expressed cautious optimism that the first treatments will be available in the near future. But the transfer of promising technology from the laboratory into the clinic is costly and cannot be achieved without government support. This is a crucial time. The conditions we support are rare and only a small number of scientists dedicate their work to research in this field. We are in danger of losing the benefit of all the investment made so far, if world renowned scientists move abroad.The suggested cuts will bring the budget down to less than £2.6bn. In 2007-08 the total science budget was £3.5bn, which is less than 0.25% of the UK's total output. Research into rare conditions only represents a tiny fraction of this budget. We urge the government not to make short-term expenditure reductions that could jeopardise the longer-term development of life-saving treatments for the 70,000 children and adults with muscle disease, who have a right to have the same quality of life as everybody else.Dr Marita PohlschmidtDirector of research, Muscular Dystrophy CampaignScience funding crisisResearch fundingBiosciencesTax and spendingMedical researchguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Man took own life after Morcombe questioning A coronial inquest on Queensland's Sunshine Coast has been told a person of interest took his own life after police interviewed him about the disappearance of Daniel Morcombe in 2003. abc.net.au |
Harvard scientists reverse the ageing process in mice – now for humans Harvard scientists were surprised that they saw a dramatic reversal, not just a slowing down, of the ageing in mice. Now they believe they might be able to regenerate human organsScientists claim to be a step closer to reversing the ageing process after rejuvenating worn out organs in elderly mice. The experimental treatment developed by researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, turned weak and feeble old mice into healthy animals by regenerating their aged bodies.The surprise recovery of the animals has raised hopes among scientists that it may be possible to achieve a similar feat in humans – or at least to slow down the ageing process.An anti-ageing therapy could have a dramatic impact on public health by reducing the burden of age-related health problems, such as dementia, stroke and heart disease, and prolonging the quality of life for an increasingly aged population."What we saw in these animals was not a slowing down or stabilisation of the ageing process. We saw a dramatic reversal – and that was unexpected," said Ronald DePinho, who led the study, which was published in the journal Nature."This could lead to strategies that enhance the regenerative potential of organs as individuals age and so increase their quality of life. Whether it serves to increase longevity is a question we are not yet in a position to answer."The ageing process is poorly understood, but scientists know it is caused by many factors. Highly reactive particles called free radicals are made naturally in the body and cause damage to cells, while smoking, ultraviolet light and other environmental factors contribute to ageing.The Harvard group focused on a process called telomere shortening. Most cells in the body contain 23 pairs of chromosomes, which carry our DNA. At the ends of each chromosome is a protective cap called a telomere. Each time a cell divides, the telomeres are snipped shorter, until eventually they stop working and the cell dies or goes into a suspended state called "senescence". The process is behind much of the wear and tear associated with ageing.At Harvard, they bred genetically manipulated mice that lacked an enzyme called telomerase that stops telomeres getting shorter. Without the enzyme, the mice aged prematurely and suffered ailments, including a poor sense of smell, smaller brain size, infertility and damaged intestines and spleens. But when DePinho gave the mice injections to reactivate the enzyme, it repaired the damaged tissues and reversed the signs of ageing."These were severely aged animals, but after a month of treatment they showed a substantial restoration, including the growth of new neurons in their brains," said DePinho.Repeating the trick in humans will be more difficult. Mice make telomerase throughout their lives, but the enzyme is switched off in adult humans, an evolutionary compromise that stops cells growing out of control and turning into cancer. Raising levels of telomerase in people might slow the ageing process, but it makes the risk of cancer soar.DePinho said the treatment might be safe in humans if it were given periodically and only to younger people who do not have tiny clumps of cancer cells already living, unnoticed, in their bodies.David Kipling, who studies ageing at Cardiff University, said: "The goal for human tissue 'rejuvenation' would be to remove senescent cells, or else compensate for the deleterious effects they have on tissues and organs. Although this is a fascinating study, it must be remembered that mice are not little men, particularly with regard to their telomeres, and it remains unclear whether a similar telomerase reactivation in adult humans would lead to the removal of senescent cells."Lynne Cox, a biochemist at Oxford University, said the study was "extremely important" and "provides proof of principle that short-term treatment to restore telomerase in adults already showing age-related tissue degeneration can rejuvenate aged tissues and restore physiological function."DePinho said none of Harvard's mice developed cancer after the treatment. The team is now investigating whether it extends the lifespan of mice or enables them to live healthier lives into old age.Tom Kirkwood, director of the Institute for Ageing and Health at Newcastle University, said: "The key question is what might this mean for human therapies against age-related diseases? While there is some evidence that telomere erosion contributes to age-associated human pathology, it is surely not the only, or even dominant, cause, as it appears to be in mice engineered to lack telomerase. Furthermore, there is the ever-present anxiety that telomerase reactivation is a hallmark of most human cancers."AgeingGeneticsMedical researchBiologyUnited StatesCancerCancerIan Sampleguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |