Short course

Researchers clone dog to help cure dementia

Scientists in South Korea have created a fluorescent dog,called Tagon,using cloning techniques,which they claim could one day help cure diseases in humans like Alzheimers and Parkinsons. The cute Beagle,now two,appears bright green under ultraviolet light when antibiotic drugs are put in his food. He was cloned using the same cell technology used to make the worlds first cloned dog,Snuppy,in 2005.

The creation of Tagon opens new horizons since the gene injected to make the dog glow can be substituted with genes that trigger fatal human diseases, lead scientist Lee Byeong-chun of Seoul National University was quoted by The Sun as saying.

Dogs were chosen for the 1.8 million pounds project because they share 268 illnesses in common with humans,said science journal Genesis,which published the discovery.

Flu super antibody may bring universal shot closer

Scientists have found a flu super antibody called FI6 that can fight all types of influenza A viruses that cause disease in humans and animals and say their discovery may be a turning point in the development of new flu treatments. Researchers from Britain and Switzerland used a new method aimed at beating needle-in-a-haystack-type-odds and managed to identify an antibody from a human patient which neutralises both main groups of influenza A viruses. Although it is an early step,they said,it may in time pave the way for the development of a universal flu vaccine.

Vaccine makers currently have to change the formulations of their flu shots every year to make sure they protect against the strains of the virus circulating. This process takes time and money,so the goal is to come up with a universal flu vaccine that could protect people from all flu strains for decades,or even for life.

Study says non-head injuries may also impact thinking skills

A blow to the head isnt the only injury that can make a football player a little slow and confused. A sprained ankle or knee might also affect how athletes perform on a computer-based test of attention,memory,and reaction time generally used to manage concussions,according to new study. Trainers and team doctors should rely on talking to athletes about concussion symptoms when theyre trying to decide the seriousness of a head injury,researchers said. With every athlete when we evaluate them on the sidelines8230;its getting an idea of8230;how theyre feeling,what symptoms they may have, said Dr. Mark Halstead,a sports doctor at Washington University School of Medicine.