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SCIENCE UPDATE
Scientists explore new method of treating skin cancer
Scientists say they have unearthed important new clues in the search for a treatment for skin cancer, which in some cases can be fatal and which is affecting more and more people, especially in developed countries.
After carrying out a series of experiments on mice a team of scientists in the United States has arrived at what they call a “simple technology” to cure a metastatic disease, or a cancer that spreads throughout the body. The results of their study will appear in the September issue of Nature.
During chemotherapy — one of the standard ways of treating cancer — healthy cells are destroyed along with cancerous cells.
Researchers led by Richard Vile at the Mayo Foundation in Rochester, in the US state of Minnesota, have attempted to turn this feared secondary effect to their advantage by better stimulating the immune system so that it attacks the tumour.
“Deliberate destruction of normal tissue can be exploited to generate immunity against a malignant disease originating from that tissue,” say researchers in a report already posted on the internet at http://www.nature.com.
Hubble’s instrument out of order
An instrument that helped the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope look at black holes, newly forming stars and far-off galaxies has broken down, and Nasa said it is looking at possible ways to fix it.
The instrument, called the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, was installed in 1997 and was designed to operate for five years. But it may be possible to rescue some of its operations, Nasa said.
The space agency said Hubble's other instruments, the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer, the Advanced Camera for Surveys, and the Wide Field/Planetary Camera 2, are all operating normally.
Nasa said an electrical malfunction may be to blame. A similar problem affected the instrument in 2001, forcing a switch to the backup side. Now the backup side has failed, Nasa said.
"A final decision on how to proceed is expected in the coming weeks as analysis of the problem progresses," Nasa said in a statement.
Bird brain reveals flight secrets
The fossilized brain of a 150 million- year-old bird has given up the secret of whether or not the creature could fly: apparently it could, say experts.
Hi-tech scanning equipment was used to X-ray the brain case of the Jurassic era bird, called Archaeopteryx. It revealed structures similar to those that modern birds use for flight and balance, the study in Nature reports. This adds significant weight to the popular theory that the birds’ wings were used for more than just flapping.
Since the discovery of the first Archaeopteryx fossil in 1861, the species has been a source of some contention among the palaeontology community.
The carnivorous bird, which measured a maximum of around 50cm with wings outstretched, had features that were both dinosaur-like and bird-like in nature. It had the distinctly avian characteristic of being feathered, yet also had teeth and clawed hands. Until now, little was known about the inner workings of the ancient creature. But Dr Angela Milner, of the Natural History Museum in London, used a state-of-the-art scanning method called computed tomography scanning to take X-rays of the preserved brain case.
The equipment, which was provided by the University of Texas, Austin, US, enabled the scientist to view extremely fine slices of the precious specimen.
The images were then converted into a 3D reconstruction of the brain case and inner ear using a computer. The results surprised even the experts. The computer-generated image revealed that the anatomy of the brain corresponded very closely with that of modern flying birds. It revealed well-developed semicircular canals in the inner ear, which are used for balance, and enlarged optic lobes for vision. Both essential features for efficient flight.
The findings present fairly conclusive evidence that Archaeopteryx was once airborne, according to the lead researcher.
Dr Milner commented: “This all suggests that the development of the bird brain goes hand in hand with that of the physical structures, for instance the wings, that allow it to fly.
Researchers will now examine fossils of other birds to look for further evidence of early flight. However there are no fossils that predate the study specimen, which has now been returned to its home in the Natural History Museum.
Blue-eyed white tiger is born
A blue-eyed, stripeless white Bengal tiger, one of about 20 in the world, has been born in Spain, a wildlife refuge said. The three-month-old cub has been named Artico, Spanish for Arctic.
"His parents are normal Bengal tigers, orange with black stripes, but because of a genetic mutation he is completely white with no stripes," said Serafin Domenech, director of El Arca (The Ark) refuge in the southeastern province of Alicante.
"Everybody wants a white tiger. It's not going to be hard for him to find a nice place to live," Domenech said. — Sci-tech World Report
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