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12.12.2022
THEME: HEALTH

Gene editing depleted acute leukemia from a girl and may have been able to cure her

Leukaemia is cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, where blood cells are produced. It is characterized by the uncontrolled growth of abnormal white blood cells, which can crowd out healthy blood cells and prevent them from functioning correctly, leading to symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, infections, and easy bruising or bleeding. Several different types of leukaemia are classified based on how quickly the disease progresses and the type of blood cells affected. Treatment often involves chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or bone marrow transplant and may include targeted drug therapies or immunotherapy. The prognosis varies depending on the type of leukaemia and the stage at which it is diagnosed. Still, many people with the disease can be successfully treated and go on to lead healthy, everyday lives. Alyssa, 13, was diagnosed with T-cell acute leukaemia in May last year. Chemotherapy and bone-marrow transplant were unable to rid it from her body. A team of doctors at Great Ormond Street, led by Prof Waseem Qasim, used a technology called base editing - invented only six years ago - on Alyssa with outstanding results. They used the most advanced methods to build her a new living drug based on a personalized T-cell capable of hunting down and killing Alyssa's cancerous T-cells. Base editing allows scientists to zoom into a specific part of the genetic code and alter the molecular structure of just one base, converting it into another and changing the genetic instructions. After a month of treatment, she was in remission and given a second transplant to rebuild her immune system. As she was left vulnerable to infection, she spent 16 weeks in the hospital and couldn't see her brother, who was still going to school, in case he brought germs. There were worries after the three-month check-up found signs of cancer again. But her two most recent investigations have been positive. Alyssa is the first patient to be treated with this technology. This outstanding result undoubtedly suggests that science has found a way to reduce leukaemia mortality. However, more statistics are needed to determine if the method can be called a "cure", which would be close to a miracle compared to the alternatives. Genetic manipulation, a high-speed moving area of science, confirms its true potential - which experts say goes across many incurable diseases.

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07.12.2022
THEME: POLITICS

US midterm elections are over: Democrats control the Senate, Republicans control the House, and Trump launches his third campaign for Presidency

On December 6, the 2022 midterm elections officially concluded after the vote in Georgia. The final result is 51/49 Senate seats for the Democrats and 222/213 in favour of the Republicans in the House. Nearly a month ago, after the vote in Nevada, it was already clear that the Democrats had control on at least 50% of the Senate seats, meaning a majority thanks to the power of casting vote of the Vice President (now Kamala Harris, a Democrat). The voice in Georgia, however, is significant as the Democrats won a crucial seat that allows them to keep the majority in the Senate even if a Republican vice president takes over in the next presidential elections. While victory in the Senate is undoubtedly important, the situation changed in the opposite direction in the House of Representatives. The Republicans had won control of the US House already on November 16, returning the party to power in Washington and giving conservatives leverage to blunt President Joe Biden's agenda and spur a flurry of investigations. Just one day after retaking a majority in the US House of Representatives, Republicans have said they will investigate the president's family as a "top priority". The lawmakers said the inquiry would focus on the overseas business dealings of the president's son, Hunter Biden. The 52-year-old is already under federal investigation but has not faced any charges. The younger Biden is not involved with the administration in any capacity. But top Republicans insist their inquiry will determine the extent of Joe Biden's alleged involvement in his son's business dealings, including during the elder Biden's time as vice president. This situation will complicate the ability to govern both parties during and after the ongoing presidential mandate. However, the results are more favourable than predicted for the Democrats, as Republicans hoped to entirely reset the agenda by capitalizing on economic challenges and Biden's lagging popularity. Despite a worse-than-predicted outcome, former President Donald Trump launched on November 15 his third campaign for the White House: "To make America great and glorious again, I am tonight announcing my candidacy for president of the United States," Trump said before an audience of several hundred supporters in a chandeliered ballroom at his Mar-a-Lago club, "America's comeback starts right now," he said, formally beginning the 2024 Republican primary. It is worth noting that Trump was the first president to be impeached twice, and his supporters violently stormed the Capitol during the transition of power on January 6, 2021. But the campaign of Donald Trump has to face more than "just" the proof of ballots. Recently, on December 7, a Manhattan jury found two Trump Organization companies guilty on multiple charges of criminal tax fraud and falsifying business records connected to a 15-year scheme to defraud tax authorities by failing to report and pay taxes on compensation for top executives. The Trump Organization could face a maximum of $1.61 million in fines when sentenced in mid-January. The guilty verdict comes as Trump is under scrutiny by federal and state prosecutors for his handling of classified documents, the effort to overturn the 2020 election results, and the accuracy of the Trump Organization's business records and financial statements. He is also facing a $250 million civil lawsuit from the New York attorney general alleging he and his adult children were involved in a decade-long fraud. The attorney general seeks to permanently bar them from serving as an officer or director of a company in New York state, among other penalties. Trump Org. attorneys said they plan to appeal.

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06.12.2022
THEME: HEALTH

Scientists identified a bacteria which uses a never seen trick to avoid antibiotics

Researchers have just caught bacteria sidestepping antibiotic treatment with a never-before-seen trick. Bacteria's talent for developing resistance against antibiotics is a rapidly growing health threat. This ability has ancient origins and allows drug-resistant bacterial infections like gonorrhoea to kill 1.3 million people globally yearly. Examples of strategies exploited by bacteria are: direct inactivation of the antibiotics, preventing drugs from accumulating in their system, and changing the antibiotic's targets, making them ineffective. Bacteria need their folates - a vitamin complex necessary for protein and DNA production - to develop and reproduce successfully. Some antibiotics block folate production to stop bacteria from growing and treat the infection. While investigating how a type of Streptococcus responds to antibiotics, Telethon Kids Institute microbiologist Kalindu Rodrigo and colleagues discovered a new mechanism for antibiotic evasion. Streptococcus commonly causes sore throats and skin infections but can also lead to systemic illnesses like scarlet fever and toxic shock syndrome. Scientists found a mechanism of resistance where, for the first time, the bacteria could take folates directly from its human host when blocked from producing their own. Streptococcus was acquiring folate, already processed, from outside its cells as these molecules are abundant in our bodies. The process completely bypasses the action of sulfamethoxazole, an antibiotic that inhibits folate synthesis within the bacteria, thus rendering the drug ineffective. The discovery's extent may impact preclinical research for antibiotics treatments. Indeed, bacteria that succumb to antibiotics in laboratory tests, where alternative folate sources are unavailable, may still thrive in their hosts' bodies. This study implies that most methods today may be inadequate for detecting resistance to some antibiotics.

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04.12.2022
THEME: HEALTH

The FDA approves the first faecal microbiota drug for the treatment of C. difficile infection

Infection by the bacterium C. difficile (CDI) is a severe and potentially deadly disease that impacts people across the globe. CDI causes debilitating symptoms such as severe diarrhoea, fever, stomach tenderness or pain, loss of appetite, nausea and colon inflammation. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared CDI a public health threat requiring urgent and immediate action. The infections cause an estimated half a million illnesses and tens of thousands of deaths annually in the U.S. alone. It is often the start of a vicious recurrence cycle, implying a significant burden for patients and the healthcare system. It has been estimated that up to 35% of CDI cases recur after initial diagnosis, and people who have had a recurrence are at significantly higher risk of further infections. After the first recurrence, it has been estimated that up to 65% of patients may develop a subsequent recurrence. On November 30, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved "Rebyota", commercialized by Ferring pharmaceuticals. What makes this drug exceptional and a first of its kind is its manufacturing and delivery method. The drug is manufactured in Minnesota from stool donations screened for dozens of infections and viruses. Health professionals deliver the therapy via the rectum as a one-time procedure. The studies worth the FDA approval demonstrated that 70% of patients taking Rebyota saw their symptoms resolve after eight weeks, compared with 58% of patients getting a placebo. The new treatment is only for patients who have already taken a course of antibiotics for recurrent infections. The condition is more common in seniors and people with weakened immune systems.

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01.12.2022
THEME: HEALTH

A global analysis demonstrates that nearly half stillbirths are caused by air pollution

A stillbirth occurs every 16 seconds somewhere in the world. It means that every year, about 2 million babies are stillborn – a loss that reaches far beyond the loss of life. It has a long-lasting traumatic impact on women and their families worldwide. Perhaps even more tragically, most of these deaths could have been avoided with high-quality care antenatally and during birth. Over 40 per cent of all stillbirths occurred during labour – a loss that could be prevented with improved monitoring and access to emergency obstetric care when required. This tragic loss of life remains a neglected issue, as worldwide data on stillbirths are mainly absent. A Neglected Tragedy: The Global Burden of Stillbirths, the first-ever stillbirth report by the UN Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (see link below), is a critical milestone in improving the availability of these data globally and driving political and public recognition of the issue. The report finds that despite progress being made since 2000, stillbirths have not declined as rapidly as maternal and newborn mortality. If current trends continue, an additional 19 million stillbirths will occur before 2030. A first global study, published November 29 in Nature Communications, may explain this negative trend as it reveals a link between stillbirths and air pollution. The research used data on stillbirths and air pollution between 1998 and 2016 from 54 low- and middle-income countries, including Pakistan, India and Nigeria. The researchers estimated the number of stillbirths attributable to PM2.5 exposure. PM2.5 are microscopic particles usually found in smoke, having a diameter of 2.5 micrometres (0.0025 mm) or smaller. The study concludes that in 2015 there were 830'000 stillbirths attributable to exposure to pollution (40% of the total). The proportion of stillbirths attributed to PM2.5 pollution was exceptionally high in Pakistan, India, Nigeria and China. The underlying biological mechanisms are not yet clear. The researchers hypothesize that pollution particles passing through the placenta could cause "irreversible embryonic damage" and harm the placenta itself. Air pollution could also restrict the ability of the mother's body to pass oxygen to the foetus. Overall, independently of the exact causes, the study shows that reducing air pollution levels would reduce the risks of stillbirth.

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30.11.2022
THEME: TECHNOLOGY

Artificial Intelligence is now drawing pictures on request, and they can be as beautiful as human-made ones

Progress in the domain of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is expected to change the world in a few decades. Such continued progress has been recently demonstrated by applying AI programs to games such as Chess and Go, where computers proved to be able to learn and win against the top human champions. Recently another AI program, DALL-E, demonstrated unprecedented power in creating original images. The program is now available online (see link below), and anyone can use it: it asks the user to enter the content of the desired image and, in a matter of seconds, creates images reflecting the user's requests. DALL-E is one of the most discussed, appreciated and criticized artificial intelligence algorithms, especially since the end of the summer when a trial version of it was made available to everyone. The first version of this artificial intelligence was released in January 2021, but with limited capabilities compared to the current ones, which surprised many observers and instilled concern in illustrators, graphic designers and artists. OpenAI carried out the development of DALL-E. This research laboratory is part of the OpenAI LP company, which is, in turn, controlled by Open AI Inc., a non-profit corporation. Billionaire Elon Musk founded the organization in 2015. For some months now, DALL-E has been the best-known system for producing images with algorithms, but there are others. Several other research groups, developers, companies, and organizations have made AI drawings, such as Midjourney, Imagen and DreamStudio. Each of these systems employs different algorithms but with similar operating principles. The original breakthrough came in 2016 when a team of scientists managed for the first time to ask an AI algorithm for the content of an image through a written request. The initially designed algorithms, however, were quite complex to use and specialized only in a small niche of demands. The most recent developments result in systems such as DALL-E that can practically design anything, with ever higher levels of adherence to requests. The latest generation of these AIs is straightforward to use. Just as researchers in Canada had experienced in 2016, but with much larger and more defined images, it is now possible to write a request in natural language and obtain the corresponding drawing in a few moments. Many aspects of DALL-E functioning are unknown, but its programmers have reported adding elements to ensure that the images produced respond to a specific aesthetic taste. As far as possible, the AI ​​produces images that we should like and, consequently, that we believe are more in line with our requests, amplifying that impression of having what we asked for. For example, asking for a specific desired painting style is possible. Those who deal with graphics and illustrations have begun to show a particular concern, sometimes intolerance, towards the AIs that draw and manage to draw better and better. One day, perhaps not too far away, for some types of illustrations, the work of professionals could be replaced by AI. Even if this did not happen in other sectors, such as writing - where there is massive room for improvement - the advances in drawing with AI have been faster and are, above all, more promising.

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28.11.2022
THEME: WORLD

There is growing socioeconomic pressure in China due to COVID-19 restrictions

China is arguably the developed nation which fought against the COVID-19 pandemic with the most rigid restrictions. While most other countries have now substantially declared the end of the sanitary emergency, in China, the fight is still ongoing. Authorities put entire cities under lockdown, even with just a handful of cases. Those in quarantine report difficulties in having access to food and medicines. The situation also puts stress on many commercial activities and companies. The economic and social costs of such measures have been incredibly high. The lockdowns are the cause of growing socioeconomic pressure. Several civil protests have erupted across the country in the last few days against the draconian anti-pandemic measures. Some of these protests have turned violent with the intervention of the police. At universities and in Shanghai where hundreds chanted, "Step down, Xi Jinping! Step down, Communist Party!". Protests have also broken out in the capital city of Beijing. One student at the prestigious Peking University reported that he arrived at the protest scene at around 1 a.m. Sunday local time, there were approximately 100 students, and security guards were using jackets to cover a protest slogan painted on the wall. Hundreds of people took to the streets of Urumqi on Friday night against the containment measures, which saw many of the city's 4 million residents barred from leaving their homes for as long as 100 days. Chinese media showed footage of people breaking through metal fences and shouting, "End the lockdown!". China is now the only major country in the world still fighting the pandemic through mass testing and lockdowns. Authorities defend President Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy as life-saving and necessary to prevent overwhelming the health care system. Officials have vowed to continue with it despite the growing public pushback and its mounting toll on the world's second-biggest economy. The explosion of criticism marks a sharp turn in public opinion. Authorities are now designing more gradual measures, but they still claim a zero-Covid policy as the objective.

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25.11.2022
THEME: HEALTH

About WHO's work to identify pathogens that could cause future outbreaks and pandemics

The World Health Organization (WHO) is launching a global scientific study to update the list of priority pathogens - those microbes that can cause outbreaks and pandemics - to guide global investment, research and development (especially in vaccines), and development of tests and treatments. Starting with a meeting on Friday, November 18, WHO is convening over 300 scientists who will consider the evidence on more than 25 families of viruses and bacteria, as well as the so-called "Disease X." Disease X is a placeholder name adopted by WHO to represent a hypothetical, unknown pathogen that could cause a future international epidemic. As an outcome of the process, the experts will recommend a list of priority pathogens that need further research and investment. Both scientific and public health criteria are considered, as well as standards related to socioeconomic impact, access, and equity. The current list includes COVID-19, Crimean-Cong haemorrhagic fever, Ebola virus disease and Marburg virus disease, Lassa fever, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Nipah and henipaviral diseases, Rift Valley fever, Zika and Disease X. Targeting priority pathogens and virus families for research and development of countermeasures is essential for a fast and effective epidemic and pandemic response. "Without significant R&D investments before the COVID-19 pandemic, it would not have been possible to develop safe and effective vaccines in record time," said Dr Michael Ryan, Executive Director of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme. "This list of priority pathogens has become a reference point for the research community on where to focus energies to manage the next threat," said Dr Soumya Swaminathan, WHO Chief Scientist. "It is developed with experts in the field and is the agreed direction for where we - as a global research community - need to invest energy and funds to build tests, treatments and vaccines. The revised list is expected to be published in the first quarter of 2023.

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22.11.2022
THEME: HEALTH

First drug to delay onset of type 1 diabetes is now approved by FDA

Type 1 diabetes is a disease that occurs when the immune system attacks and destroys the cells that make insulin (pancreatic beta-cells). People with this type of diabetes have increased glucose that requires insulin shots (or wearing an insulin pump) to survive and must check their blood sugar levels regularly throughout the day. Although it can appear at any age, type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. A person is at higher risk for type 1 diabetes if they have a parent, brother or sister with type 1 diabetes, although most patients with type 1 diabetes do not have a family history. On November 17, the US Food and Drug Administration - the FDA - approved Teplizumab to delay the onset of stage 3 diabetes in adults and pediatric patients eight years and older with stage 2 diabetes. Teplizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody, which will be marketed under the brand name Tzield from ProventionBio and Sanofi. Teplizumab acts by binding a specific molecule (CD3 marker) on the surface of specific immune cells-CD8 T lymphocytes - responsible for the destructive action on the pancreatic beta cells. The binding blocks the activation of these cells, thus preventing their damaging effect. Tzield evaluated safety and efficacy in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 76 patients with stage 2 type 1 diabetes. In the trial, patients randomly received Teplizumab or a placebo once daily via intravenous infusion for 14 days. The trial results showed that over a median follow-up of 51 months, 45% of the 44 patients who received the drug were later diagnosed with stage 3 type 1 diabetes, compared to 72% of the 32 patients who received a placebo. The average time from randomization to stage 3 diabetes diagnosis was 50 months for the patients who received Teplizumab and 25 months for those who received a placebo. These results represent a significant delay in developing stage 3 type 1 diabetes.

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21.11.2022
THEME: ENVIRONMENT

COP27 concludes with a decision to establish a loss and damage fund

The Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP) is where the United Nations come together to act towards achieving the world's collective climate goals agreed upon in the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at COP 21 in Paris on December 12 2015. Its goal is to limit global warming to below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. The Paris Agreement was a landmark because, for the first time, a binding agreement brings all nations into a common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects. COP27 took place from 6 to November 18 2022, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Building on the outcomes and momentum of COP26 in Glasgow last year, nations were expected to demonstrate at COP27 that they are in a new era of implementation by turning their commitments into action. COP27 came at a particular historical moment, where the ongoing energy crisis is forcing some nations to increase the use of fossil fuels to produce electricity and heating. Therefore, at COP27, it was impossible to reach a joint statement of severe actions to reduce the use of fossils. This fact was interpreted as alarming in the news worldwide, which depicted the event as inconclusive and marginal. However, in the COP27 final statement, some conclusions may help deal with future climate change. First, it is acknowledged that climate change is a common concern of humankind. Nations should address it promptly while guaranteeing minimal economic impact and human rights, especially indigenous people, children, and the disabled. The importance of ensuring the integrity of all ecosystems, including the forests and the ocean, is noted. It is recognized that some food production systems are also prone to adverse impacts from climate change and that action against such change would aim to safeguard food security and end hunger. It is noted the importance of protecting and preserve water systems. It is stressed that the challenging geopolitical situation and its impact on the energy, food and economy should not be used as a pretext for backtracking, backsliding or de-prioritizing climate action. The limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature rise is reiterated, and the efforts once more confirmed to avoid surpassing such a threshold. Despite recognizing the negative impact of the energy crisis and geopolitical situation on the fight against climate change, a decision has yet to be formulated on the topic. It is iterated that, to meet the 1.5 degrees goal, rapid and sustained reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions of 43 per cent by 2030 relative to the 2019 level is needed. The growing gravity and frequency of loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change are recognized in all regions. It results in devastating economic and non-economic losses, including forced displacement and impacts on cultural heritage, human mobility, and local communities' lives and livelihoods. At COP27, it was confirmed for the first time the importance of an adequate and effective response to loss and damage through solidarity among nations. Matters relating to responding to loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change led to decisions on funding arrangements, including supporting developing countries in catalyzing technical assistance for the implementation of approaches at the local, national and regional levels. Such agreement is the most important achievement at COP27 since rich countries, which will contribute financially to the mechanism, had long opposed its concept. It is estimated that USD 4 trillion per year needs to be invested in renewable energy up until 2030 to reach net zero emissions by 2050. It is noted with concern that the current investment rate is below one-third of what is needed. Climate change is increasingly a threat impacting our lives as humans, and a race is ongoing to save our planet and its ecosystems. In COP27, the closing words of the UN Secretary-General António Guterres: "Together, let's not relent in the fight for climate justice and climate ambition. We can and must win this battle for our lives."

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