Mystery surrounds ancient remains discovered in English villages
This discovery challenges the traditional understanding of early medieval migration to England, which primarily focused on movements from continental northern Europe.
Two individuals, one at each site, showed genetic affinity to present-day sub-Saharan West African groups like Yoruba and Mende, with further analysis suggesting one paternal grandparent was of West African descent.
The presence of grave goods and burial alongside community members indicates these individuals were integrated and valued within their local societies.
The findings suggest a more diverse and cosmopolitan population in early medieval England than previously thought, prompting further questions about long-distance movement and demographic interaction.
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BBC News
39 minutes ago
- BBC News
RDEB trial gives hope to children suffering from painful skin condition
A boy with a rare and painful skin condition has been given hope after taking part in a trial for a potential treatment for the genetic Misurenkovas, 12, from east London, was diagnosed with the inflammatory disease recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) when he was a rare genetic disease is severely debilitating and even the smallest amount of friction can cause damage and lead to blistering, deep wounds and the trial, Gabrielius received certain stem cells via an intravenous drip to help alleviate the painful condition. About 150 children in the UK are affected by no disease-modifying treatment available, patients and their families usually manage symptoms by dressing wounds and applying eye time, the condition can lead to severe complications and patients can develop a type of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma when they are young adults - this is the most common cause of death for RDEB patients, according to has been under the care of medics at children's hospital Great Ormond Street (GOSH) since he was a said he jumped at the chance to join the clinical trial when it was suggested by his doctors."I wanted to take part in the trial as I was excited to see if it could help improve my condition and so I could do more of the things I enjoy, like playing football and spending time with my friends," he the youngster, who can speak three languages and is a big fan of footballer Lionel Messi, needed his bandages changing three times a day or more if he was injured. His mother, Jolita Cekaviciene, said: "Gabrielius did really well on the trial."His wounds healed quicker, and his skin was less red and inflamed."His skin was also less itchy which also reduced him scratching."His sleep was also less disturbed as he didn't need to have his special wound dressings changed as often, so this was a great benefit."She said Gabrielius had managed to do a few things that he was not able to before having the treatment, including taking part in some sports at school, riding his bike in the park on the grass, and being able to play football with his friends, using a soft Cekaviciene said the trial had given her son more freedom than before, but he still needed to be careful in any activity to avoid falling over or was referred to GOSH as a baby after medics spotted a wound when he was born, and he was diagnosed with RDEB when he was two weeks Cekaviciene said: "The first two years were really hard as you had to watch him constantly - even rubbing his eyes could cause painful blistering."He couldn't even tell us how much pain he was in or where he was hurting." RDEB is a genetic condition caused by a fault in the gene that makes a protein which holds layers of skin together - collagen wanted to assess whether regular infusions with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) improved symptoms for children with the condition, after studies suggested that such treatments could promote wound healing, reduce inflammation and stimulate tissue is one of 30 children who took part in the new clinical trial at GOSH and Birmingham Children's Hospital, which was funded by NHS England, the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the charity Cure it patients would go into hospital and have a drip which delivered the cells as an infusion over 10 to 15 minutes. The study, published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, reported a positive outcome of the largest effects were in children under the age of 10, and in the children with an intermediate type of involved in the study reported a positive impact on daily life and well-being, with a reduction in both pain and treatment was said to have been well tolerated by the the firm behind the treatment, has agreed to provide it free of charge for a year for all children who took part in the trial, so researchers can continue to study them, and patients are expected to get two infusions of the treatment every four company is seeking regulatory approval for the treatment so it can be approved for use in the UK and other countries.
The Independent
6 hours ago
- The Independent
Boy with fragile skin disorder given hope after new treatment
A boy with a rare skin condition which can cause damage with even the smallest amount of friction has been given hope after taking part in a trial for the first potential treatment for the genetic disorder. Gabrielius Misurenkovas, 12, from east London, was diagnosed with an inflammatory disease called recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) when he was a baby. Many symptoms of the painful condition have been alleviated thanks to a new trial in which he received certain stem cells via an intravenous drip. The rare genetic disease is severely debilitating. People with the condition have extremely fragile skin which is easily damaged, leading to blistering, deep wounds and scarring. About 150 children in the UK are affected by RDEB, which is painful and causes itchiness. With no disease-modifying treatment available, patients and their families manage symptoms by dressing wounds and applying eye ointments. Over time, the condition can lead to severe complications and many patients with the condition develop a type of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma when they are young adults – this is the most common cause of death for RDEB patients. Gabrielius has been under the care of medics at the world-renowned children's hospital Great Ormond Street (GOSH) since he was a baby. He said he jumped at the chance to join the clinical trial when it was suggested by his doctors. 'I wanted to take part in the trial as I was excited to see if it could help improve my condition and so I could do more of the things I enjoy, like playing football and spending time with my friends,' he said. The youngster, who can speak three languages and is a big fan of footballer Lionel Messi, needed his bandages changing three times a day, or more if he was injured. His mother, Jolita Cekaviciene, said: 'Gabrielius did really well on the trial. 'His wounds healed quicker, and his skin was less red and inflamed. 'His skin was also less itchy which also reduced him scratching. 'His sleep was also less disturbed as he didn't need to have his special wound dressings changed as often, so this was a great benefit.' She said Gabrielius has managed to do a few things that he was not able to before the treatment, including taking part in some sports at school, riding his bike in the park on the grass, and being able to play football with his friends, with a soft ball. Ms Cekaviciene said the trial has given her son more freedom than before, but he still needs to be careful in any activity to avoid falling over or bumps. Gabrielius was referred to GOSH as a baby after medics spotted a wound when he was born, and he was diagnosed with RDEB when he was two weeks old. Ms Cekaviciene said: 'The first two years were really hard as you had to watch him constantly – even rubbing his eyes could cause painful blistering. 'He couldn't even tell us how much pain he was in or where he was hurting.' RDEB is a genetic condition which is caused by a fault in the gene that makes a protein which holds layers of skin together – collagen VII. Medics wanted to assess whether regular infusions with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) improved symptoms for children with the condition, after studies suggested that MSC treatments could promote wound healing, reduce inflammation and stimulate tissue regeneration. In the trial, funded by NHS England, the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the charity Cure EB, children were given a treatment called CORDStrom, manufactured by INmuneBio. Gabrielius is one of 30 children who took part in the new clinical trial at GOSH and Birmingham Children's Hospital. Patients would go into hospital and have a drip which delivers the cells over 10 to 15 minutes. In the study patients were split into two groups, about half were given the treatment, which is made from umbilical cord tissue, as an infusion, twice over two weeks. The other half were given a placebo, also known as a dummy drug. They then had a nine-month gap, known as a wash-out period, where the group that were initially given the dummy drug were given the treatment, while the group that received therapy first were given a dummy drug. The study, published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, reported a positive outcome of the treatment. The largest effects were in children under the age of 10, and in the children with intermediate type of RDEB. Families involved in the study reported a positive impact on daily life and well-being, with a reduction in both pain and itching. The treatment was said to be well tolerated by the children. INmuneBio have agreed to provide CORDStrom free of charge for a year for all children who took part in the trial, so researchers can continue to study them, and patients are expected to get two infusions of the treatment every four months. The company is seeking regulatory approval for the treatment so it can be approved for use in the UK and other countries. Chief investigator of the study, Dr Anna Martinez, paediatric dermatologist at GOSH, said: 'Our study has demonstrated that CORDStrom was safe and can help reduce disease activity in some patients with RDEB. 'Administering the treatment early and at regular intervals appears to reduce itch and improve wound healing, which over time we hope will reduce inflammation, modify the condition and may reduce over time the future risk of squamous cell carcinoma. 'It's fantastic to see how the patients, like Gabrielius, had improvements in their symptoms and their quality of life.' She added: 'The 12-month open label study will allow us to collect more data to hopefully show an increased benefit from treatments administered in children and young people with RDEB, to continue research in support of the treatment being rolled out more widely.' Sharmila Collins, founder trustee of Cure EB, said: 'Since funding the first trial and by contributing to Mission EB we have been working towards bringing MSC infusions forward for all children in the UK with RDEB. 'We hope these cells will become part of routine clinical care to alleviate the significant suffering of children with this condition.'
The Sun
8 hours ago
- The Sun
Eight easy ways to get your kids into astronomy including best apps & budget gear to combat summer holiday boredom
IF summer holiday boredom is setting in, the answer could be written in the stars. Astronomy is growing in popularity across the UK, with retailer Argos reporting sales of telescopes and binoculars up 1,380 per cent year-on-year. 5 5 Fans are also turning to 'Spacetok' with the astronomy hashtag used more than 540,000 times on social media. With planet-spotting's popularity going into orbit, the good news is you don't need to spend lots of money on equipment to get started. Anyone can have a go on a budget! Outreach astronomer Neill Sanders, founder of has advice for beginners on navigating the night sky. Whether you live in the city, suburbs or deep in the countryside, you can look up from anywhere. Try in a garden, nearby park or through a bedroom window. Remember to turn off any lights first and give your eyes around 15 minutes to adjust. The darker the sky, the more stars you are likely to see. So if there is a lot of light pollution in your area it can be well worth travelling a few miles to see more. CLOSE CALL 'It was a sign' - Clare girl, 10, spots surprise comet that 'shines brighter than Venus' There are stargazing sites all over the UK and an outing to a designated Dark Sky area is great fun. Many are free and have toilets and parking for your adventure. NIGHT SKIES: A quick online search will offer the lunar calendar with precise moon phases planned out. Try to time your stargazing session so it takes place in the days before, during or just after a new moon. At this time, you should be able to see thousands of stars with only your eyes. If you do have use of a telescope, this is also the best time to see galaxies and star clusters. 5 You might even get lucky and see the Milky Way arching across the sky, depending on the month of the year and time of night. Natural moonlight washes out the light from most stars so during a full moon is the worst time to stargaze, as fewer are visible. PRECISE PEEPERS: There's no need for flashy kit. Depending on the amount of light pollution, you could see up to 3,000 stars from a dark-sky location with no equipment at all. But a set of budget binoculars will let you see far more. A basic pair, magnifying 10x50, is ideal for beginners and children, and are widely available from around £30 in many high street stores. If you decide to invest further, specialist supplier has great advice and affordable beginner telescopes. To stabilise your eyes, fix a pair of binoculars to a tripod or rest them on a garden fence or wall. PLAN IT: Dress appropriately — even in a heatwave it can get cold at night. A chair to perch on is useful too, and in a pitch-black area, it is advisable to take along a rechargeable torch. Try to use a red beam, as white light can affect how well your eyes focus once looking upwards. Red bike lights make great stargazing torches, as they don't affect 'dark-adjusted' eyes. Leave your phone in your pocket, too, or put a red filter on it. If you do need to use white light for any reason, be mindful of other stargazers. And always stay safe. Tell someone where you are going and don't forget to take drinks and snacks. ASTRONOMERS APPS: Your smartphone or tablet is a super source of star charts for spotting constellations and learning your way around the night sky. Check out resources such as Star Walk, Star Tracker and Sky Safari in your app store. 5 Some even present a real-time view of the night sky using GPS, a compass and built-in inclinometer to give details about the object your phone is pointed at. Just remember to look away from your phone and up to the stars. Or opt for a traditional printed star-chart instead. Be patient, as your eyes settle, you will start to see more stars. JOIN A GROUP: Getting together with other people is a great way to start off, and helps make it more affordable. Most of the local astronomy groups and observatories in the UK hold events or observing sessions, which you can attend for free or for a few pounds. TIPS FOR WATCHING METEOR SHOWERS Avoid light pollution - Stargazers should head to a location well away the city lights, the glow of a town, and even that of street lamps Put the phone away - You should give your eyes at least 15 minutes to adjust to the dark so you can see the fainter meteors Unobstructed view - Make sure that your star gazing spot has an unobstructed view of the horizon and above, away from treelines or cityscapes is best Stargazing societies welcome everyone — including complete beginners. As well as being a way to learn more, it can also give you access to some hi- tech kit that would be too expensive to buy yourself. Some astronomy groups will even lend telescopes to members. SHAPE SHIFTERS: Swot up on famous constellations and use your star chart or app to find them. Officially, these are the 88 recognised patterns that help astronomers divide the sky into sections, but you will also see smaller patterned shapes known as asterisms. Good ones to seek out are the famous Plough, the lion- shaped Leo and Ursa Major, which resembles a bear. Remember, not all constellations can be seen year-round. Shooting stars are the perfect starting point and they are happening now until August 23 You will not find Orion, the skyward hunter, in the summertime in the UK as he is only visible in winter. With practice, you will soon start to spot planets such as Jupiter, Venus and Saturn, as stars will twinkle but planets won't. SHOOTING STARS: For some added excitement, note dates of meteor showers in UK skies. These atmospheric firework displays take place at the same time annually, and are best seen with the naked eye and in groups. They are perfect starting points for beginners, young stargazers and families. You may see small streaks of shooting space dust or more dramatic colourful bursts. The names of meteor showers are based on the constellation where they appear to radiate from. Clubs and societies often arrange meteor shower meets or even Stay And Gaze events. Now, until August 23 a shower known as Perseids is taking place. Perfect timing for the holidays!
