Weekly Round Up: Eternal Life, China takes over, Russian Problems and a dialogue of the deaf. What a lot to think about!

We couldn’t help noticing these thought provoking tropes!

The Brain that Lived for Ever According to The Guardian, eternal life may be just around the corner. Dr Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnson is hoping to extract our brains and preserve them, in order that future generations will revive them and help us to live forever. Assuming that is, that they can bothered-who needs a clapped-out 21st century brain when you have quantum computing wired into your own? Perhaps John Agar and the Brain from Planet Arous were on to something after all. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/dec/01/with-brain-preservation-nobody-has-to-die-meet-the-neuroscientist-who-believes-life-could-be-eternal

If America Stumbles, will China take over? If America really does pull out of the Climate change agreements, any claim to moral leadership and soft power will have been vitiated. Forever. It will give the Peoples Republic of China the right to step up to the plate and lead the world to safety. Who can blame the rest of us if we follow? Here’s Justin Rowlatt for the BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3rx2drd8x8o

Russia’s best week turns sour Election of Donald Trump, more advances on the battlefield, free nations losing heart: what’s not to like for Russia’s Vladimir Putin? Except that his Syrian outpost is cracking and his economy is slowly going down the tubes, as this article from The Conversation makes clear. Like Britain in the 1940s he has sold out hope of future growth for the sake of victory here and now. In effect, his empire is really just a satellite of China. But maybe that’s a good thing for the rest of us-see above . https://theconversation.com/russian-rouble-collapse-exposes-deep-problems-in-the-countrys-economy-244869?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversati

Why don’t they listen to scientists? A running theme of this blog is that the world never seems to notice the work and methods of science(except when it needs vaccines in a hurry) There’s no easy answer, if the popular mind deals in emotion and stories, and the scientific one in reason and evidence. Nature Briefings offers this thoughtful discourse Why we’re not solving more with Science

A Nature global survey finds that most specialists are unhappy with systems that provide science advice to policymakers. Eighty per cent said their country’s science-advice system was either poor or patchy, and 70% said that governments are not routinely using such advice. Nature’s survey — which took place before the US election in November — together with more than 20 interviews, reveals where some of the biggest obstacles to science advice lie. Eighty per cent of respondents thought policymakers lack sufficient understanding of science — but 73% said that researchers don’t understand how policy works. “It’s a constant tension between the scientifically illiterate and the politically clueless,” says policy specialist Paul Dufour.Nature | 15 min read

Well that’s it for this week. We don’t profess any religion here, but we are fans of 17th century English, brought up on the resonances of Shakespeare and Milton and the King James Bible. Which is why we have chosen this cadent little homily from their version of Proverbs 12 3 to send you away

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom and the man that getteth understanding/ for the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver and the gain thereof than fine gold/she is more precious than rubies and the the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her

(it applies to women, too)

#china #america #climate change #neurology #the brain from planet arous #russia #vladimir putin #reason #emotion #evidence

Did your long-ago BCG Vaccine save you from Dementia?

Ask elderly readers of this blog about their BCG vaccine and they will recall an age of 45rpm records, Ben Sherman shirts and George Harrison‘s Concert for Bangladesh. But they still bear tiny marks, high on their left arms from they day they lined up outside the school dispensary. Ostensibly, the vaccination was against TB. But it may have been doing something else which concerns them very much here and now. It may actually have been protecting them against dementia. Get this from an excellent article by Amy Fleming of The Guardian:

…...BCG vaccine was originally used against tuberculosis, but it is also often part of a treatment programme for bladder cancer. “It stimulates the immune system,” says Lathe. A team of researchers in Jerusalem, he says, decided to look at patients who survived bladder cancer and compare dementia prevalence among patients treated with BCG and those who weren’t. “Do they differ in the rate at which they get Alzheimer’s disease?” The answer is yes – the BCG group appeared to get 75% protection against Alzheimer’s. A number of studies have now found varying levels of protection from BCG, with an average, according to one meta‑analysis, of 45%. [1]

And that is only the tip pf the iceberg, gentle readers. For what Amy’s article is really all about is a set of discoveries that the brain’s privileged position as a microbe-free zone is now under serious challenge. It was a position suspected by no less a scientist than the great Alzheimer himself. But was then rather complacently dismissed for many following years. It’s a theme which we’ve alluded to here before (LSS 14 9 24) following leads by the excellent team at the New Scientist. If so, we could at least be on the verge of real cures for all kinds of mental disturbances. And when we think of the terrible suffering such illnesses inflict both on the immediate victim, and their families and carers, we see that as a step forward indeed.

The patient careful thought of researchers and scientists offers the only real hope of ameliorating the human condition. How sad to live in an age when it is eclipsed by the passionate emotion of savage, ignorant mobs. That’s a theme we shall return to, as well.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/dec/01/the-brain-microbiome-could-understanding-it-help-prevent-dementia?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

#bcg #vaccines #dementia #alzheimer #immune system #brain #microbiology ]#new scientist

Mental Illness: Real hope at last?

Why is there no “cause and effect” model of mental disorders and problems? it’s a problem that has intrigued us for more than fifty years; and has more than once been lamented on these pages. Despite the heroic endeavours of thousands of hard working researchers and scholars, we seem little nearer tangible, reproducible solutions.

Until this week when we came across an article by Anthea Rowan of the New Scientist which honestly made our hair stand up.[1] Initially the article is about OCD.(obsessive-compulsive disorder) But in it, for the first time, we have come across what may be real hints of what is going on at a neurological and molecular level in the unfortunate victims of many mental abnormalities. And from that emerges the first possibility of real and lasting cures for their suffering.

We won’t steal Andrea’s thunder (you’ll need a paywall jump if you use the link), But we will try to summarise some of her salient points, and urge you to read further.

It’s the genes Get this quote from her:

“…half of the risk of developing OCD is down to our genes..[a study]…examined genomes of nearly 40000 people with OCD and identified 15 genetic signatures associated with the conditio including ones for proteins that influence brain function and development ….one of the signatures…. was associated with genes for the major histocompatibility complex(MHC)[2] ….a region of DNA that plays an important role in the immune system and has also been linked to other mental health conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder “(our bold)

It’s in the immune system

“…….a case in point is two related conditions called PANS and PANDAs in which children can suddenly develop OCD symptoms anxiety or tics seemingly in response to an infection….”

It’s in the gut

“… a team at Shanghai Jiao Tong University….transplanted faecal gut microbiota from humans with OCD into mice. Two weeks later the mice began to exhibit repetitive behaviours and signs of anxiety..….

Why are we so excited? Because here at last are three tangible, well defined pathways for research. Each contains definable, repeatable units like molecules, tissues and nerve ganglia. No more hard to prove social theories or endlessly debated diagnoses. Instead a chance to start again from the bottom up. And maybe find a pattern of molecular-level abnormalities which can be identified, defined and remedied in a controlled and repeatable manner. The research will be long. Cures are still very far away. But the right paths have now been identified. And that is some cause for hope.

[1]https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26335082-600-a-fresh-understanding-of-ocd-is-opening-routes-to-new-treatments/

[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_histocompatibility_comple

#mental illness #OCD #personality disorder #MHC #infection #immunology #infection #health #medicine

Processed Foods: Reader Feedback

Photo by Anna Tukhfatullina Food Photographer/Stylist on Pexels.com

Today we reproduce the comment of our regular reader Ms Gaynor Lynch, on our recent piece about processed foods. Many thanks to her for taking the time to contact us:

Ultra-processed foods are bad for you – full stop. They are highly addictive and affect your brain chemistry so that you crave them more. Emerging research suggests ultra processed foods are particularly bad for not just the gut but the heart and brain as well, with mood and cognition badly affected.

Professor Tim Spectre is the go expert on the gut https://zoe.com/post/tim-spector-gut-tips,

There is an excellent excellent article in National Geographic on brain health but there is a pay wall. It may be available through your library service.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/premium/article/ultra-processed-foods-damage-brain-depression-anxiety-cognitive-decline#:~:text=Although%20many%20ultra-processed%20foods%E2%80%94soda%2C%20candy%2C%20energy%20bars%2C%20fruit-flavored,brain%2C%20with%20mood%20and%20cognition%20taking%20a%20hit.

Abstract of research article in the journal Neurology on associations between ultra-processed food consumption and adverse brain health outcomes. Free, paywall to full article.

https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000209432

We at LSS think that this whole issue is only going to grow in the next few years and welcome the thoughts of any other readers who might care to join the debate

#nutrition #obesity #food #diet #sustainability #health #heart

No-Sky Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. We interview A. Doctor

Following media speculation about No Sky Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, a new syndrome sweeping the nation, LSS is proud to present this exclusive interview with Ann Doctor

LSS Is there really such a syndrome as No Sky Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (NSPTSD)?

AD Yes, NSPTSD is a new syndrome , but it’s very real nonetheless.

LSS What causes it? And what are the symptoms?

AD It happens when an otherwise healthy child is deprived of Sky TV in their formative years. It causes many tragic symptoms. A desire to stand out in the rain for long periods. A phobia about meeting important world leaders causing the sufferer to rush back to England to do an interview in ITV. To ignore obvious cues, such as the word “TITANIC” in the background, or hoping to rev things up by hanging around deserted motor car racing tracks in Northamptonshire. And otherwise make all kinds of gaffes, mistakes, blunders and unforced errors.

LSS is there any cure?

AD Generally we advise sufferers to collect as much money as they can and depart to a warm place, such as California, as soon as possible. And never, ever come back.

Why the UK has ended up like Manchester United

Followers of football often discuss the fate of Manchester United FC. A once hugely-successful club, awash with money that is now desperately underperforming, despite an endless stream of new mangers and fresh starts. Some compare it with the fate of Rome (the Empire of that name, not the football club). But there may be an another comparison, more recent and much closer.

Why is the UK so desperately underperforming? Why is the state of its mental health so very poor, when compared to other countries? Why have peoples hopes and expectations stagnated? Why is the health service so bad? Housing so squalid and insecure for so many? Especially as all the terrible social and economic problems were tackled so ably, especially in the years between 1945 and 1975? One intriguing set of ideas has been presented by George Monbiot. [1] [2] Intriguing because they link together so many disparate observations. Refreshing, because they challenge existing orthodoxies of Right and Left. For George, the culprit is Neoliberalism, which he defines as a cultish ideology based on a relentless cutting of the state, privatisation, low taxes and the freest possible flows of taxes and people. (the latter certainly explains why we couldn’t see the pictures in the Uffizi galleries in Florence)

Of course, it’s a contribution, not a panacea. But it touches on the same sort of themes as Thomas Piketty, Wilkinson and Pickett, Hutton and others whom we have referenced on these pages from time to time. That the endless competition by individuals for wealth and status will end up by leaving all of us poorer. Except the very rich, who own all the media by which we are told what a great idea all of this is. And as for the UK and poor old Manchester United? Perhaps both of them need to take a very long, cool look at the fundamental causes of their unhappy states. Before worse happens.

[1]https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/other/why-is-britain-s-mental-health-so-incredibly-poor-it-s-because-our-society-is-spiralling-backwards/ar-BB1m8tVR?ocid=msedg

[2]https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/may/10/britain-mental-health-society-neoliberalism-politicians

#neoliberalism #finance #wealth #mental health #housing #inequality

Could your gut microbiome be making you anxious?

We always like intriguing new stories about health and biology here. That’s why we’ve showcased this item from Peter Hess of the Mail, Do you have Social Anxiety? Scientists Find the Condition lives in your gut. Peter reports some results from University College, Cork. Essentially, scientists there have transferred gut material from people with Social Anxiety to mice. And found that they have thereby induced significant changes in the nervous systems of those creatures: specifically, making them more prone to anxiety and fear [1]

The work is undoubtedly interesting, and it’s good journalism to write it up Especially when it’s one of our old tropes, in this case the relationship between the the digestive system and the nervous system (LSS 9 3 23 and passim). Is it the answer to all our woes? It’s too early to say.

Essentially, journalists report two types of science story. Definitive ones, which answer all the questions and close the subject down. Or intriguing ones on early research which opens a subject up and sets the questions for future researchers. It’s our gut feeling that this work belongs in the second category. For one thing, the numbers are small (12 people and 72 mice, if our maths is anywhere near correct) Good start, but we’d like to see replication across much larger numbers. And what is Social Anxiety Disorder anyhow? Psychiatric conditions are notoriously hard to define exactly. Could there be other causes of anxiety, such as war service or growing up with violent parents? They need to be controlled for.

It’s good work in an intriguing area, and we hope these researchers are given more time and money to pursue it. But we still wait and see for definitive conclusions.

[1]https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-13156095/social-anxiety-gut-scientists-treatment.html

[2]https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-46986709

#diestive system #nervous system #health #anxiety

Faith v Reason: Look at the results

We have two stories today, which if taken together, nicely illustrate the difference between Scientific Reason and Blind Faith.

CAR-T Therapy against Multiple sclerosis When we were young , Multiple Sclerosis was a dread disease, Slowly , understanding and therapies have evolved, and now as Nature Briefings explains, a powerful new method using the exciting new CAR-T system looks almost ready for large trials.

And we know how they did it The researchers looked at evidence. They designed and ran experiments . They discarded theories that the evidence showed was wrong. And eventually they came up with this, Engineered Cells for Multiple Sclerosis

The first US trials of CAR T cells to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) have started. These engineered cells could reset the malfunctioning immune system, halting the brain damage that defines MS. “I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but there’s a prospect here for a one-and-done therapy,” says neurologist Jeffrey Dunn, who is running a trial for Kyverna, a US biotech company. Safety is a concern because CAR T treatments can cause brain toxicity, which can result in confusion, seizures and death.Nature | 5 min read

Alabama Theocracy Over in the USA, the Faith-Based Folks of the Alabama Supreme Court have just outlawed IVF. You can read the full story from Robert Reich here [1] but a little of their motivation may be gleaned from the following

In a concurring opinion in last week’s Alabama supreme court decision, Alabama’s chief justice, Tom Parker, invoked the prophet Jeremiah, Genesis and the writings of 16th- and 17th-century theologians.

Today IVF….tomorrow.? Slowly, the tentacles of the Theocrats will close around every laboratory in the USA, banning this, forbidding that, until the US slips so far behind it can never catch up. It was by the Seventeenth Century trial of Galileo that the Catholic Church ensured its own eclipse by ensuring that thinkers fled to the Protestant lands of the north. Hitler found the same, ensuring that the best Jewish scientists fled to Allied countries, delivering their brains to his eventual defeat. That’s what happens when you discard evidence which the theory says is wrong.

Someone once observed that Knowledge and Belief are two different things. It can be hard to choose, we know. But if you need a little help, it may be worth looking at the outcomes of your choice. We can’t see the supreme court of Alabama coming up with a cure for disease any time soon. Nor will the Ayatollahs of Iran. But we hope the above evidence may help you, gentle reader, to support those who might.

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/feb/23/republicans-american-theocracy

#religion #theocracy #christian nationalism #iran #science #empiricism #science

The Startling Truth about early-onset dementia

Of course it’s terrible when a family hears the dread news that Alzheimer’s disease, or dementia, has started to afflict one of their members. But until today, when we spoke with a most educated young woman from Alzheimer’s Research UK, we thought it was a disease of the elderly. We had no idea that it can affect relatively young people, that is to say, in their thirties or forties.

But it can and does, as our links for you make abundantly clear. [1] [2]. We apologise for using UK statistics, but Alzheimers UK estimate that there are 70, 800 cases of one of the various dementias in people who are under 65. You can scale that up or down according to the size of your own country with a simple calculator app (UK population 2024=67.33 million) Meanwhile, we invite you to browse the links, as you will be riding on the frontier of one of the great unresolved research questions of our time.

And what to take away from all this? Firstly, you never know when you will learn something unexpected. Especially when you have access to intelligent people. (If you can’t find any to hand right now, we hope this blog will go some way to ameliorating the deficit) Secondly, keep your brain alive. Puzzles, maths, learning a foreign language or even studying the rules of logic might help. Or at least stave the thing off, for a while [3]. So might keeping fit. And finally-if by some miracle we save the scientific method from the various fanatical culture warriors who are currently afflicting the globe, we might just one day find a method to find that no one ever has to live with it again.

[1]https://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/dementia-information/types-of-dementia/young-onset-dementia/

[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early-onset_Alzheimer%27s_disease

[3]https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/can-physical-or-cognitive-activity-prevent-dementia-202109162595

#Alzheimer’s disease #dementia #Alzheimer’s Research UK #scientific method #neurology #age