S&S: Health & Disease
- Antibiotic discovery goes undergroundThe discovery of teixobactin could revitalise the search for new antibiotics based on the novel method the researchers used to identify the compound
The discovery of teixobactin could revitalise the search for new antibiotics based on the novel method the researchers used to identify the compound
- Philip Hunter, Freelance journalist (ph{at}philiphunter.com) 1
Early in 2015, researchers reported the discovery of an entirely new antibiotic. The ingenious method they used to find it could greatly benefit the search for novel drugs to fight multi‐drug resistant pathogens.
- © 2015 The Author
- Risks inherent to mitochondrial replacement
- 1Evolution, Behaviour and Environment Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
- 2Applied Zoology, Department of Biology, Technische Universitaet Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- 3School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia
- ↵*Corresponding author. Tel: +44 1273 87 2862; E‐mail: ted.morrow{at}sussex.ac.uk
Questions remain about the long‐term safety of mitochondrial replacement.
- Received May 30, 2014.
- Revision received January 15, 2015.
- Accepted March 2, 2015.
- © 2015 The Authors
- Attacking the systemNext‐generation auto‐immune therapies target pathways rather than symptoms
Next‐generation auto‐immune therapies target pathways rather than symptoms
- Philip Hunter (ph{at}philiphunter.com) 1
The prevalence of auto‐immune diseases is an increasing burden for patients and healthcare systems. A new generation of drugs that modify specific signaling pathways of the immune system promises to substantially alleviate the impact of many of these diseases.
- © 2015 The Author
- Changing the future, not the past: a translational paradigm shift in treating anxiety
Understanding how long‐term memories are enshrined at the molecular level has led to new drug targets for treating anxiety disorders. But drugs do not provide lasting effects and we need to find ways to better couple them with therapy to help patients cope with traumatic experiences.
- © 2015 The Authors
- Medicinal use of cannabis in EuropeThe fact that more countries legalize the medicinal use of cannabis should not become an argument for unfettered and uncontrolled use
The fact that more countries legalize the medicinal use of cannabis should not become an argument for unfettered and uncontrolled use
The use of cannabis to treat chronic pain from cancer or neurological diseases is now legal in many countries. However, the uncontrolled smoking of cannabis leads to neurological harm and cannabis should be treated like any prescription drug to achieve the best effect for patients and safety for the public.
- © 2015 The Authors
- Do we understand the personalized medicine paradigm?Personalized medicine marks the beginning of a new attitude in medicine
Personalized medicine marks the beginning of a new attitude in medicine
Personalized medicine is a new, holistic view of health focused on the individual. Social scientists will need to help handle the inevitable societal, ethical and legal challenges created by these new applications of science and medicine.
- © 2014 The Authors
- Living too longThe current focus of medical research on increasing the quantity, rather than the quality, of life is damaging our health and harming the economy
The current focus of medical research on increasing the quantity, rather than the quality, of life is damaging our health and harming the economy
- Guy C Brown (gcb3{at}cam.ac.uk) 1
Longer lifespans, often ending with multiple diseases, threaten the viability of social and health systems. Rather than prolonging life further, research and funding should focus on increasing the quality of life in old age.
- © 2014 The Author
- Lifestyle in the spermThere is growing evidence that epigenetic marks can be inherited. But what is the nature of the information they store and over how many generations do they prevail?
There is growing evidence that epigenetic marks can be inherited. But what is the nature of the information they store and over how many generations do they prevail?
- Katrin Weigmann, Freelance Journalist (mail{at}k-weigmann.de) 1
Observations of epigenetic inheritance challenge classical genetics and imply that Lamarck might have been right—sort of. The jury is still out, as the mechanisms and scope of epigenetic inheritance are not yet fully understood.
- © 2014 The Author
- Reawakening anaesthesia researchAnaesthesia—one of the greatest achievements of medicine—remains unexplained, but a slew of new studies may help to solve the mystery
Anaesthesia—one of the greatest achievements of medicine—remains unexplained, but a slew of new studies may help to solve the mystery
- Andrea Rinaldi, Freelance science writer (rinaldi.ac{at}gmail.com) 1
An explosion of studies on the molecular mechanism of anaesthetics and their effect on neural circuits is bringing us closer to solving the long‐standing scientific puzzle of how anaesthesia actually works.
- © 2014 The Author
- The genetics of human migrationsOur ancestors migration out of Africa has left traces in our genomes that explain how they adapted to new environments
Our ancestors migration out of Africa has left traces in our genomes that explain how they adapted to new environments
- Philip Hunter (ph{at}philiphunter.com) 1
Genomics is unraveling the migratory history of modern humans. Knowledge about how they adapted to new environments and pathogens has implications for human health today and may also help to counter the toxic notion of “races”.
- © 2014 The Author
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