news 2010

If you listen to Radio 4's Today Programme on any given day, you'll inevitably hear a spectrum of politic views from socialist through liberal to conservative. You may find yourself agreeing with the interviewee or irked by their politics depending on your own political persuasion. Liberals and conservatives may find themselves disagreeing on issues as wide-ranging as the future of the NHS, the UK's involvement in Afghanistan and whether students should pay tuition fees at university, but could these differences be a result of different brain structures?

A group of UK primary school children have achieved a world first by having their school science project accepted for publication in an internationally recognised peer-reviewed Royal Society journal. The paper, which reports novel findings in how bumblebees perceive colour, is published in Biology Letters today.

A team of UCL researchers, part-funded by the Alzheimer's Research Trust, has discovered that combining spinal fluid testing with MRI scans could provide an early indication of a person's risk of developing Alzheimer?s. The approach could allow scientists to test treatments or preventions far earlier in the disease, when experts believe they could be more effective.

Links: Wellcome Trust Professor Greg Towers Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute A virus previously thought to be associated with chronic fatigue syndrome is not the cause of the disease, a detailed study led by UCL scientists has shown. The research shows that cell samples used in previous research were contaminated with the virus identified as XMRV and that XMRV is present in the mouse genome.

Sheffield report reveals recommendation to mental health services for veterans Mental health services for armed forces veterans suffering from a variety of mental health conditions should be staffed by people with knowledge and understanding of the Armed Forces, a University of Sheffield report has recommended.

Science | Health 16 Dec 10 If everyone in the UK ate their 'five a day' and kept to recommended levels of salt and unhealthy fats, 33,000 deaths could be prevented or delayed every year, an Oxford University study has found. The research, co-funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), highlights the difference getting your five a day could make to the nation's health.

University of Manchester and Health Protection Agency researchers have shown that cancer patients have a five-fold increased risk of developing listeria than people with other underlying conditions. The study, published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases today (Wednesday), also showed that those with cancers of the blood have the greatest risk .

Researchers at King's College London and the University of East Anglia have discovered that women who consume a diet high in allium vegetables, such as garlic, onions and leeks, have lower levels of hip osteoarthritis. The findings, published in the BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders journal, not only highlight the possible effects of diet in protecting against osteoarthritis, but also show the potential for using compounds found in garlic to develop treatments for the condition.

Scientists using translucent zebrafish as a "window on cancer” have been able to see in real time how tumour cells are born – and immediately attract cells from the immune system. This inflammatory response seems to both attack and aid the cancer cells and the balance between the two provides a new therapeutic target for cancer researchers.

The imaging of tumour growth in zebrafish has revealed for the first time how cancer cells have the capacity to co-opt the immune system into spreading disease, leading the way for investigations into potential therapies for eliminating early-stage cancer in humans. Using different coloured fluorescent tags, scientists at the University of Bristol labelled the white blood cells of the translucent zebrafish in order to track the growth of tumours with live images.

Forget your preconceptions about the civilised, sparkling, white cityscapes of the ancient world: Real-life Pompeii was an altogether more sordid proposition, as Cambridge classicist Mary Beard is set to explain. In an hour-long documentary on BBC Two tonight, Professor Beard will draw on some of the latest finds, as well as her own experience researching Pompeii and Ancient Rome, to uncover little-known facts and bust some long-standing myths about the most famous excavation site in the western world.

University of Manchester scientists have discovered for the first time an important new way in which the human papilloma virus (HPV) triggers cancer in what could lead to new treatments for cervical and mouth cancer. HPV infection is known to increase the risk of developing cancers of the cervix and mouth with the two high-risk forms of the virus accounting for approximately 70% of all cervical cancer cases.

Anticipating a hectic Christmas? As the festive season gathers momentum, ageing and immunity experts at the University of Birmingham are exposing the health risks of not responding to stressful situations. Their latest research has found that people who react the least to stress could be at greater risk of conditions such as depression and obesity, and have lowered immunity to infection.

Links: Journal of Neuroscience MRC Wellcome Trust Professor Masud Husain Cognitive tests and MRI scans have shown significant differences in the brains of fighter pilots when compared to a control group, according to a new study led by scientists from UCL. The study, published today in the Journal of Neuroscience , compares the cognitive performance of 11 front-line RAF (Royal Air Force) Tornado fighter pilots to a control group of a similar IQ with no previous experience of piloting aircraft.

Researchers at King's College London have discovered that leukaemic stem cells can be reversed to a pre-leukaemic stage by suppressing a protein called beta-catenin found in the blood. They also found that advanced leukaemic stem cells that had become resistant to treatment could be 're-sensitised' to treatment by suppressing the same protein.

In a paper published today in Lancet Oncology , scientists in the Gynaecological Cancer Research Centre at UCL have demonstrated that an ultrasound scan being used in screening trials for ovarian cancer can also pick up  signs of endometrial cancer before any symptoms occur. This is the first large scale study of screening for endometrial (womb) cancer, which is increasing in incidence and is responsible for over 1,700 deaths per year in the UK.

New research centre will bridge the gap between academia and health policy The Centre for Health Policy, which aims to turn high quality research into evidence-based policy innovations, has been launched at Imperial College London. Monday 13 December 2010 A new centre that aims to turn high quality research into evidence-based policy innovations has been launched at Imperial College London today.

Science | Health 13 Dec 10 Two genetic variants have been identified that increase the risk of developing endometriosis, a common gynaecological disease. The study provides clues to the origin of this often very painful condition, which has a significant impact on the quality of life of many women. The research was carried out at the University of Oxford, the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Australia, and Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in the USA.

Genome of barley disease reveals surprises Scientists have sequenced the genome of a major fungal disease that affects barley and other cereal crops Scientists have sequenced the genome of a major fungal disease that affects barley and other cereal crops, a breakthrough that could lead to significant advances in our understanding of how plant diseases evolve.

Scientists at King's are working on creating versions of starfish compounds in the search for treatments for inflammatory conditions such as asthma, hay fever and arthritis. Most man-made objects placed in sea water become covered with marine life, but starfish manage to keep their surface clear. This non-stick property is particularly interesting to King's scientists working on finding new ways to treat inflammation in humans.