Search for Alzheimer's cure with 'revolutionary' research on live brain tissue
Scottish scientists are using living brain tissue for the first time in Alzheimer's research funded by Sir Jackie Stewart's 'Race Against Dementia' charity
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
8 hours ago
- Scotsman
How Not To Die (Too Soon) by Devi Sridhar review: 'a manifesto of sorts'
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Here's the quick answer to the question posed in the title of this book by Devi Sridhar, Professor and Chair of Global Health at the University of Edinburgh and advisor to the Scottish and UK Governments, as well as the World Health Organisation, UNICEF and UNESCO: be the kind of person who buys hardback books and has £22 of disposable income (≈24% of the weekly Job Seeker's Allowance). That is not supposed to be flippant, as one of the insistent points in Sridhar's work is the connection between poverty and ill-health. Professor Devi Sridhar The subtitle makes clear another two aspects: 'The Lies We've Been Sold and The Policies That Can Save Us'. Whenever there is a health problem, there are quacks, mountebanks and charlatans. It's unsurprising that in Delhi, for example, there are expensive air-purifiers for sale. But hats off to Moritz Krähenmann, selling eight litre cans of Swiss Alpine air for £17.60 – we breathe, Sridhar notes, six litres a minute. The second part is trickier. Although there are aspects of our lives that we can control, and which have tangible health benefits, others are beyond the capability of the individual. Good luck solving carcinogenic car fumes, 100˚F summers or rivers full of excrement and chemical run-off on your own. (For the record, climate change is not one of the emergencies Sridhar covers). Politics and the bogey-man word 'regulation' are, unfortunately, the answers sometimes. The title may have a slight after-tang of self-help, but the book itself is more concerned with state-level intervention. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The chapters cover what Sridhar calls a 'collective endeavour' to increase life expectancy; although the caveat here is on the quality not the duration of life. The first three chapters, uncontentiously enough, cover taking regular exercise, eating a balanced diet and either not taking up or giving up smoking. Then comes a chapter broadly on mental health. This chapter is more sketchy. It limits itself to anxiety disorders – 'struggling' seems as apt a word as any. There is one flash of really smart writing, when Sridhar having discussed the accusation that 'Sustainable Development Goals' in mental health are 'senseless, dreamy and garbled' writes the criteria were 'mostly vague, largely immeasurable, somewhat attainable, and definitely relevant'. Although one section is headed 'It's hard to get depression taken seriously' it's hard to take seriously when she quotes 'even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise' – it might be Victor Hugo, but it sounds like Hallmark. The next sections are more obviously public: gun control, road traffic accidents, water and air pollution; and an appropriate closure on untimely deaths caused by failures of health systems themselves. I was surprised – given Sridhar is based in Scotland – that neither alcohol nor narcotics were given special treatment, especially since minimum pricing and the recent experiment with safe drug consumption facilities. In the governmental rather than individual, it seems strange to omit warfare: as we see increasingly, it is not just cluster bombs and land mines that significantly reduce life expectancy in conflict zones but the deliberate use of food blockades, targeting of medical facilities and 'kettling' populations. Sometimes the book reads like various articles stitched together (there is a curious point in the nicotine chapter where she cites that the cheapest packet of cigarettes in the UK was £8.82 – in 2017. Would it have been too much trouble to put in that the average is now £16.60? It is at its best when it might have been subtitled 'Things Are More Complicated Than You Think'. For example, a whole book might have been done on Thailand and Sweden: Thailand has the world's worst road deaths, but managed to clamp down with sufficient rigour to have minimal Covid deaths. Sweden has strict 'Vision Zero' road safety but was laissez-faire (or cavalier, take your pick) about liberties during the pandemic, with many more deaths. Sridhar ends with a manifesto of sorts. Change is possible (for the better, I should add), it happens when there is consensus (see the difference between smoking bans and ultra low-emission zone), we can all learn from other countries, even when what we learn is that risks balance out, and the 'private sector is valuable… while it's sometimes the solution, its also sometimes part of the problem', which is gold-star fence sitting. She also has five 'asks' of government: make fresh food cheaper, provide alternatives to cars, privatise water companies, and invest in preventative medicine. I'd like to know quite how this gels with the private sector's role. One other recommendation seems to me plain wrong: 'provide local access to lay therapists, which takes mental health provision out of medical clinics'. Although I very much agree with Suzanne O'Sullivan on over-diagnosis, the benefits of therapy and non-material causes for genuine and painful material harms, the idea of outsourcing something so significant to unregistered amateurs seems ill-considered. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The plethora of contemporary references – Khloé Kardashian, Andy Murray, Catherine Princess of Wales, Feargal Sharkey – bolsters the sense this is in part a laudable exercise in recycling comment pieces. No doubt it will also strengthen the public engagement section for Edinburgh University in the next round of the Higher Education Research Excellence Framework.
Daily Record
9 hours ago
- Daily Record
What Tui, Loveholidays and other holiday firms are saying about travelling to Greece and Turkey
The Greek Island of Rhodes was hit by a 6.2 magnitude quake, and a local mayor confirmed 69 people were also injured in Turkey. Many Scottish holidaymakers have been left concerned after popular holiday destinations were hit by an earthquake in the early hours of this morning. The Greek Island of Rhodes was hit by a 6.2 magnitude quake, and a local mayor confirmed 69 people were also injured in Turkey after jumping out of the windows of their homes. A 14-year-old girl has sadly died, Wales Online reports. The earthquake, which affected parts of Greece and Turkey, saw hotels "sway and shake really violently" as worried holiday goers woke up in the middle of the night to tremors. According to the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre, the epicentre was just outside Marmaris, a Turkish resort town, 42 miles deep at around quarter past two. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The extent of damage to buildings in both Rhodes and Marmaris is currently unknown but travel companies have offered advice to tourists. Flights to and from Dalaman and Rhodes Airport are operating as usual today and The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has not yet issued any warnings for Brits travelling to Rhodes or Turkey. A message sent by TUI to a Brit tourist currently holidaying in Rhodes reads: "Dear Guests. We would like to inform you that an earthquake occurred at 02.17am with a magnitude of 6.6 on the Richter scale. "The epicenter was located approximately 18 kilometres from Rhodes, at a depth of 68 kilometers (42 miles). Local authorities are currently assessing the situation. At this time, there are no reports of significant damage or injuries. "As a precaution, please remain calm and follow any safety instructions provided by your accommodation or local officials. Should any specific action be required on your part, rest assured that we will contact you directly with further guidance. "Your safety and well-being are our top priority." Holiday company loveholidays emailed customers travelling to Rhodes later this week. They said: "We're getting in touch following the earthquake that took place in Greece and Turkey overnight. We're monitoring the situation closely and are in contact with our suppliers in Turkey. "Due to the depth of the earthquake, they believe this to be the main event. At this stage your holiday is going ahead as planned and there is no current impact to your flight. "However, we recommend keeping an eye on the status of your flight on your airline's website." The Independent's travel correspondent, Simon Calder, told tourists it was best to continue as normal, with no further action needed
South Wales Guardian
9 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
6 things you need to know about Alzheimer's – as drug trials bring new hope
Led by an expert from the University of Nevada in the US and published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions, the review reveals that 182 clinical trials are underway in 2025, a rise of 11% from the previous year, assessing the impact 138 potential drugs. Notably, one-third of these drugs are repurposed medications originally developed for other conditions like diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and high cholesterol. A post shared by Alzheimer's Research UK (@alzheimersresearchuk) 1. Alzheimer's and dementia are not the same thing 'A lot of people get confused between Alzheimer's and dementia and aren't really sure what the difference is,' recognises Taylor. 'The way I describe it is that dementia is the group of symptoms – so things like memory loss, confusion, personality and behavioural changes – and Alzheimer's is one of the causes of those symptoms.' Research generally associates Alzheimer's disease with the accumulation of two proteins, amyloid and tau, says Taylor. 'These toxic proteins damage our brain cells, which are what is used to communicate messages throughout our body,' she explains. 'Overtime, as more brain cells die, it becomes harder for our brain overall to carry out its normal functions. So, depending on where in the brain the damage starts, that indicates what kind of symptoms someone will experience. 'That's why in Alzheimer's early symptoms are often memory loss and confusion because Alzheimer's tends to, but doesn't always, start in the memory centres of the brain.' 2. There are 14 potential risk factors 'A lot of the risk factors for dementia are linked to our heart health,' says Taylor. 'So, we know that what's good for your heart is good for your brain as well. 'Things like having a healthy diet, exercising regularly, limiting the amount of alcohol you drink, not smoking, keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol under control etc is really important to improve or maintain our brain health and reduce our risk of dementia. 'These risk factors, there are 14 in total, have been linked to 45% of dementia cases worldwide. So, if those risk factors were completely eliminated, then up to 45% would be prevented or delayed.'3. It isn't an inevitable part of ageing 'A lot of people think it's an inevitable part of ageing, but it's definitely not – we can do things to reduce our risk of dementia,' says Taylor. While Alzheimer's disease is more common in older adults, it can also affect younger people. 'People as young as 30 have developed Alzheimer's and obviously that is quite rare, but it really does show that it's not just a part of ageing,' says Taylor. 'It's a biological disease and if something goes wrong, then we can try and find a way to make it right – that's where research comes in.' 4. It isn't just about memory loss 'I think a lot of people just think of Alzheimer's as memory loss, but it can affect a lot of different aspects of someone's memory and thinking,' highlights Taylor. 'Someone might become very confused and might not be sure of the time or the date, they might misplace things a lot or put them in odd places, like putting a TV remote in the fridge.' Alzheimer's can also really affect language skills. 'People might have problems finding the right words or understanding the meaning of words or might struggle to follow conversations, and that might mean that they become quite withdrawn,' says Taylor. In addition, there's a lot of links between Alzheimer's and mood and behaviour changes. 'People can become low in mood. other people may become more agitated or aggressive, and that's a really heartbreaking thing for someone to go through,' says Taylor. A post shared by Alzheimer's Research UK (@alzheimersresearchuk) 'People often ring us and say why would I bother going to the doctor if there's no cure yet – but I think the benefits of getting a diagnosis is that support and understanding that you get from knowing what's going on, and the ability to plan ahead,' says Taylor. 'Getting a diagnosis means you can put things in place like the lasting power of attorney and sort out your will and finances while you have time. 'Getting an early diagnosis also means getting those treatments while they're likely to work best, and a diagnosis also provides more opportunities to take part in research, so the future generations don't have to go through the same thing.' 6. Remember to be patient with loved ones who have Alzheimer's 'Someone might change quite a lot when they have Alzheimer's, but it doesn't mean that they deep down aren't the same person,' emphasises Taylor. 'Someone's behaviour might change quite drastically throughout the course of the disease but it's not coming from a bad place. 'So, patience and understanding is really key when dealing with anyone with any form of dementia. Treasure the time that you have with them.'For more information about dementia, dementia research or taking part in research, visit Alzheimer's Research UK's website or contact its Dementia Research Infoline on 0300 111 5111 or email infoline@
