Science News Digest 13th June 2011
In the science news this week, we take a look at a new drug that could repair the damage caused by a heart attack, a new insight into the dangers of sugary drinks, a new meningitis vaccine gives hope to millions and finally… stone age farmers were actually builders!
Heart-warming research.
A new drug has been developed that could repair the damage done by a heart attack, that was previously considered permanent.
The study, published in Nature demonstrated the effects of the drug, thymosin beta 4, after it had been used to ‘prime’ the heart by being administered prior to an attack.
In the UK alone, 750,000 people suffer from coronary heart disease, so the potential for this drug has been described as the "holy grail of heart research" by the British Heart Foundation.
However, as the research has been carried out on mice, they have highlighted that any treatment in humans was years away.
The researchers at University College London used the chemical, thymosin beta 4, to "wake up" the epicardium-derived progenitor cells line the heart, but have become dormant in adults.
Professor Paul Riley, from UCL, said: "The adult epicardial cells which line the muscle of the heart can be activated, move inward and give rise to new heart muscle."
"We saw an improvement in the ejection fraction, in the ability of the heart to pump out blood, of 25%."
The findings also showed that as well as pumping more blood, the scar tissue was reduced and the walls of the heart became thicker.
Professor Riley told the BBC he hoped the treatment could be available to humans in 10 years.
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Sweets for my sweet.
Consumers are being warned of the vicious cycle of desiring sugar laden foods.
Apparently by consuming more than two sugary drinks per day, people are dulling the sweet tastebuds on their tongues. In turn this is leading to higher cravings for high-calorie and sugar-laden foods and puts people at risk of developing a sweet tooth.
The researchers from the universities of Bristol and Bangor were surprised at how quickly tastes could be dulled by exposure to sweet drinks.
Lucy Donaldson, of the University of Bristol, told the Guardian "We have known for some time that the way we perceive different tastes can change under different circumstances. Finding that two sweet drinks a day over a short time can dramatically change taste was a real surprise."
The team recruited volunteers who were lean and did not usually consume sugary drinks and got them to start drinking the beverages twice a day.
After a month they tested their sensitivity to, and conscious enjoyment of sweet tastes and found that they had dulled since the initial tests prior to the trials.
Dr Hans-Peter Kubis, of the University of Bangor, said; "We are heading for a health disaster with rising obesity levels and the increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes. From our research it is clear to see how this situation may have created a cycle of sweet food and drink consumption. As taste satisfaction levels drop; the more sweet foods are consumed, contributing to these problems."
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Meningitis A vaccine gives hope to millions.
A cost effective new vaccine against meningitis A has reduced the number of new cases in three west African countries to almost zero.
The is seen as a major step for the area, as 90% of meningitis deaths are caused by the A strain of the virus where epidemics periodically kill tens of thousands of people.
The head of a long-term project to roll out the new vaccine, Marie-Pierre Preziosi of the World Health Organization said; "It's all looking very promising," for the "meningitis belt", which stretches through 25 countries from Senegal to Sudan.
According to New Scientist, no recipient of the vaccine has been infected, and the few cases that have occurred in treated areas were unvaccinated visitors from neighbouring areas.
The vaccination programme dubbed ‘MenAfriVac’ is not only vastly cheaper than existing meningitis A vaccines, at 50¢ compared with $120 per dose, but it also has greater potency and is hoped to last a lifetime.
This vaccine works differently to conventional inoculations for this illness as it splices the sugars to a carrier protein, to generate a more vigorous response from the body's immune system.
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And finally…
Flintstone & Son, General Builders.
Stone age farmers have surprised scientists with evidence of a sudden building boom across the south of England.
Previously it was thought that Neolithic enclosures, used as occasional meeting places as more complex and competitive societies emerged, developed over 700 years between 3,700BC and 3,000BC.
However, according to the Telegraph, scientists using radiocarbon dating in conjunction with the sequence that archaeological deposits were laid down to more precisely date about 40 enclosures, found that new building techniques spread over less than 100 years from 3,700BC, and were largely completed in southern England by 3,500BC.
Dr Alex Bayliss, a scientific dating expert at English Heritage, said: "By dating these enclosures more accurately, we now know that something happened quite specifically some 5,700 years ago; the speed with which it took place has completely overturned our perception of prehistory."
Heart-warming research.
A new drug has been developed that could repair the damage done by a heart attack, that was previously considered permanent.
The study, published in Nature demonstrated the effects of the drug, thymosin beta 4, after it had been used to ‘prime’ the heart by being administered prior to an attack.
In the UK alone, 750,000 people suffer from coronary heart disease, so the potential for this drug has been described as the "holy grail of heart research" by the British Heart Foundation.
However, as the research has been carried out on mice, they have highlighted that any treatment in humans was years away.
The researchers at University College London used the chemical, thymosin beta 4, to "wake up" the epicardium-derived progenitor cells line the heart, but have become dormant in adults.
Professor Paul Riley, from UCL, said: "The adult epicardial cells which line the muscle of the heart can be activated, move inward and give rise to new heart muscle."
"We saw an improvement in the ejection fraction, in the ability of the heart to pump out blood, of 25%."
The findings also showed that as well as pumping more blood, the scar tissue was reduced and the walls of the heart became thicker.
Professor Riley told the BBC he hoped the treatment could be available to humans in 10 years.
---------------------------------------
Sweets for my sweet.
Consumers are being warned of the vicious cycle of desiring sugar laden foods.
Apparently by consuming more than two sugary drinks per day, people are dulling the sweet tastebuds on their tongues. In turn this is leading to higher cravings for high-calorie and sugar-laden foods and puts people at risk of developing a sweet tooth.
The researchers from the universities of Bristol and Bangor were surprised at how quickly tastes could be dulled by exposure to sweet drinks.
Lucy Donaldson, of the University of Bristol, told the Guardian "We have known for some time that the way we perceive different tastes can change under different circumstances. Finding that two sweet drinks a day over a short time can dramatically change taste was a real surprise."
The team recruited volunteers who were lean and did not usually consume sugary drinks and got them to start drinking the beverages twice a day.
After a month they tested their sensitivity to, and conscious enjoyment of sweet tastes and found that they had dulled since the initial tests prior to the trials.
Dr Hans-Peter Kubis, of the University of Bangor, said; "We are heading for a health disaster with rising obesity levels and the increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes. From our research it is clear to see how this situation may have created a cycle of sweet food and drink consumption. As taste satisfaction levels drop; the more sweet foods are consumed, contributing to these problems."
----------------------------------
Meningitis A vaccine gives hope to millions.
A cost effective new vaccine against meningitis A has reduced the number of new cases in three west African countries to almost zero.
The is seen as a major step for the area, as 90% of meningitis deaths are caused by the A strain of the virus where epidemics periodically kill tens of thousands of people.
The head of a long-term project to roll out the new vaccine, Marie-Pierre Preziosi of the World Health Organization said; "It's all looking very promising," for the "meningitis belt", which stretches through 25 countries from Senegal to Sudan.
According to New Scientist, no recipient of the vaccine has been infected, and the few cases that have occurred in treated areas were unvaccinated visitors from neighbouring areas.
The vaccination programme dubbed ‘MenAfriVac’ is not only vastly cheaper than existing meningitis A vaccines, at 50¢ compared with $120 per dose, but it also has greater potency and is hoped to last a lifetime.
This vaccine works differently to conventional inoculations for this illness as it splices the sugars to a carrier protein, to generate a more vigorous response from the body's immune system.
------------------------------------
And finally…
Flintstone & Son, General Builders.
Stone age farmers have surprised scientists with evidence of a sudden building boom across the south of England.
Previously it was thought that Neolithic enclosures, used as occasional meeting places as more complex and competitive societies emerged, developed over 700 years between 3,700BC and 3,000BC.
However, according to the Telegraph, scientists using radiocarbon dating in conjunction with the sequence that archaeological deposits were laid down to more precisely date about 40 enclosures, found that new building techniques spread over less than 100 years from 3,700BC, and were largely completed in southern England by 3,500BC.
Dr Alex Bayliss, a scientific dating expert at English Heritage, said: "By dating these enclosures more accurately, we now know that something happened quite specifically some 5,700 years ago; the speed with which it took place has completely overturned our perception of prehistory."
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