New TB vaccine will be tested by year’s end

Developed by California researcher Marcus Horwitz, the new vaccine is genetically engineered to prompt production of a specific bacterial protein that has been found to protect mice from the disease, said Carol Nacy of the Sequella Foundation. Eventually, the vaccine may be tested against older versions of BCG to see whether it is superior. Other vaccines being developed may be used to boost the immune systems of TB-infected individuals to reduce their likelihood of developing active disease, or as an adjunct to drug treatment to prevent relapses, Nacy said.

More progesss on implanted cloned organs, tissues

Scientists have demonstrated for the first time that cloned tissues and organs can be implanted and function normally without being rejected, an achievement that brings therapeutic cloning one step closer to fruition. Working with cloned cow cells, they produced small replacement kidneys that filtered toxic materials from the blood stream of a cow and produced urine. They also created beating heart tissue that eventually might be used to repair damaged hearts in much the same manner that patches are used to repair bicycle inner tubes. The results, to be published in the July issue of Nature Biotechnology, provide an important ‘‘proof of principle’’ that cloned organs can survive and thrive in recipients, said Dr Anthony Atala of Children’s Hospital Boston, one of the researchers.

Kangaroos hop into the global warming battle

Can kangaroos help fight global warming? Australian scientists are trying to figure out precisely this, reports BBC. According to researchers in Queensland, unlike sheep and cattle, kangaroos do not produce methane, an important greenhouse gas. And this despite the fact that all three feed on the same types of grass. They believe that the bacteria found in the stomachs of kangaroos, which helps process the food they eat, might be responsible for this phenomenon. And it might be possible to use the microbe help reduce methane output from cows and sheep. The stomach is basically a big fermentation tank, with lots of hydrogen in the frothy mix. The bacteria found in the stomachs of sheep and cattle turn that hydrogen into methane, whereas the one found in kangaroos’ stomach does something else with it. To unravel the mystery, the researchers have isolated about 40 types of bacteria found in kangaroo stomachs in an attempt to find out how they work. They then plan to put them inside cattle and sheep. The kangaroo bacteria could also help farmers by raising yields of wool, milk and meat.

Cocaine effect worse when the weather’s hot

Cocaine, even in small amounts, can be fatal when taken in hot weather, crowded nightclubs or rave parties, according to researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Cocaine elevates body temperature by impairing the body’s ability to increase skin-blood flow, to sweat and to perceive excessive heat stress. The findings appear in Annals of Internal Medicine. ‘‘Individuals who abuse cocaine, especially in hot temperatures while participating in recreational sports or attending rave parties, won’t perceive that they are hot and are, therefore, less likely to drink water or to find cooler conditions’’, said lead author of the study Dr Craig Crandall, assistant professor of internal medicine. ‘‘The hyperthermic effects of cocaine are greatly amplified when the drug is used under these conditions. This may result in serious heat-related injuries, including heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke and ultimately death,’’ Crandall noted.

Whale watching can itself be something of a killer

The hundreds of whale watchers who go out aboard motorised boats each day to watch northwest US killer whales are actually helping to push the massive mammals closer to extinction. Three separate studies show noisy boat traffic makes it harder for killer whales, or orcas, to find food by using underwater sound waves, forcing them to swim harder and burn off more blubber, which is tainted with harmful chemicals.

University of Washington researchers reported noise from boat traffic may degrade the orcas’ sonar efficiency by 95 % to 99 %. Another University of Washington study found a ‘‘strong statistical correlation between whale population decline and boat activity.’’ The third study, conducted by an ORCA official, concluded that adult whales were burning nearly 20 % more energy than they did before whale watching became popular.