Scientists make healthy cells from flakes of skin and strands of hair taken from sufferers of rare blood disorderScientists have taken a big step towards treating a rare inherited disease by creating healthy cells from flakes of skin and strands of hair plucked from patients.The study is the first to demonstrate that it is possible to repair genetic faults in human cells and make batches of healthy replacements that could potentially be used to treat a disease.In a report in the journal Nature, researchers describe how they took skin and hair cells from six patients with a rare inherited blood disorder called Fanconi anaemia.The disease is caused by a genetic defect that leads to bone marrow failure and a greater risk of cancers, such as leukaemia. People who are born with Fanconi anaemia...

Although we are more familiar with the “stake through the heart” method for disposing of vampires, it would appear that the medieval Venetians preferred a brick in the mouth technique. Excavations of the 1576 Venice plague pits revealed a skeleton of a woman with a small brick lodged in her mouth. At the time the woman died, many people believed that the plague was spread by “vampires” which, rather than drinking people’s blood, spread disease by chewing on their shrouds after dying. Grave-diggers put bricks in the mouths of suspected vampires to stop them doing this. Dr. Matteo Borrini of the University of Florence reported his findings last week at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences meeting in Denver, claiming the first forensic evidence of...

Not only have sea cucumbers inspired the creation of a material that could revolutionise brain implants they may also provide a new weapon in the war against malaria. Sea cucumbers produce a protein, lectin, which impairs development of the parasites. An international team genetically engineered mosquitoes - which carry the malaria parasite - to produce the same protein in their gut when feeding. The study found the protein disrupted development of the parasites inside the insects' stomach. Malaria causes severe illness in 500 million people worldwide each year, and kills more than one million. To stimulate the mosquitoes to produce lectin, the researchers fused part of the gene from the sea cucumber which produces the protein with a gene from the insect. The results showed that the...

Its 200 years since the abolition of slavery - but about a month since I was sold into slavery myself. Not that it has had much of an impact on my lifestyle. It was all Jayne's idea.  She decided it would be a good idea to have an auction at the Broadfield Community Centre fete last month, so people were bidding for someone with gardening skills to come and do a few hours in their garden, or for someone who is a hairdresser to do some hairdressing.  I was press-ganged into being sold off as a computer expert and someone bid money for me to go and sort out problems with their computer.  I think the deal was that they bid the sort of amount I could earn at work in about half an hour, and in return I would give up several hours of my free time, and the money would swell the...