Miniature livers 'grown in lab'

30 October 2010 Last updated at 14:30 ET

Scientists have managed to produce a small-scale version of a human liver in the laboratory using stem cells.

The success increases hope that new transplant livers could be manufactured, although experts say that this is still many years away.

The team from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center presented its findings at at conference in Boston.

UK experts said it was an "exciting development" but it is not yet certain a fully-functioning liver is possible.

The demand for transplant livers far exceeds the number of available organs, and in recent years, research has focused on ways to use cell technology to support failing organs in the body, or even one day replace them.

Their building block is the stem cell, a "master cell" which can, in certain conditions, can divide to produce different types of body tissue.

However, constructing a three-dimensional organ from stem cells is a difficult task.

'Technical hurdles'

The method used by the Wake Forest researchers, and other teams around the world, is to form new liver tissue on a scaffold made from from the structure of an existing liver.

In this case, a detergent was used to strip away the cells from the liver, leaving only the collagen framework which supported them, and a network of tiny blood vessels.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Whilst 'off the shelf' new livers are clearly still a long way off, this work gives a glimmer of hope that this is no longer just the stuff of science fiction"

End Quote Dr Mark Wright, Southampton University

The new stem cells - in this case immature liver cells - and endothelial cells, to produce a new lining for the blood vessels, were gradually introduced.

After a week in a "bioreactor", which nurtured the cells with a mixture of nutrients and oxygen, the scientists saw widespread cell growth within the structure, and even signs of some normal functions in the tiny organ.

Professor Shay Soker, who led the research, said: "We are excited about the possibilities this research represents, but must stress that we're at an early stage, and many technical hurdles must be overcome before it could benefit patients.

"Not only must we learn how to grow billions of liver cells at one time in order to engineer livers large enough for patients, we must determine whether these organs are safe to use."

UK researchers welcomed the findings, which are being presented to the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. Professor Mark Thursz, from Imperial College London, said the results were "encouraging".

"The report suggests that the authors have overcome one of the major hurdles in creating an artificial liver - to generate functioning human liver cells in a 'natural' liver structure.

"It is clear that the cells are growing well, but the next step is to show that they are functioning like normal human liver tissue."

Dr Mark Wright, from Southampton University added: "In an era of increasing liver disease and death with a chronic shortage of liver transplants this represents an exciting development in an important field of work.

"The researchers appear to have made the step of combining stem cell technology with bioengineering as a first step to producing artificial livers.

"Whilst 'off the shelf' new livers are clearly still a long way off, this work gives a glimmer of hope that this is no longer just the stuff of science fiction."

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Forces less stressed than police

29 October 2010 Last updated at 10:16 ET By Katia Moskvitch Science reporter, BBC News

UK forces in Iraq are less stressed than police officers or disaster workers, scientists suggest.

A UK team surveyed 611 military personnel and found a fifth showed signs of "mental distress", a lower rate than that seen in the other high-stress occupations.

The British Journal of Psychiatry study was carried out in 2009.

But the charity Combat Stress said it was difficult to compare stress levels in such different occupations.

It is the first major study of the UK armed forces' mental health while on deployment in Iraq.

Neil Greenberg from King's College London, a co-author of the study, said that until now, most research on the psychological well-being of the UK armed forces in that country had been conducted either before or after their deployment.

But little was known about soldiers' mental health during actual service.

The team, led by Kathleen Mulligan, conducted a survey among 611 UK military personnel of different rank and gender serving in the country in 2009. This is about 15% of the total number of the UK armed forces in Iraq that year.

Overall, they found that there was "little overall effect of deployment on mental health", said Dr Greenberg.

Risk factors

The study states 92.6% rated their health as good, very good or excellent, and men as opposed to women were more likely to report good health.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Raising awareness among staff of the link between personnel reporting sick and having poorer mental health may help identify those in most need of psychological help"

End Quote Neil Greenberg King's College London

Other factors that appeared to help this self-rated well-being included being an officer, having a cohesive unit and supportive leadership.

Age seemed to matter as well: those who were younger reported more levels of stress and poorer health.

Finally, the scientists found that it was important for the armed forces to receive pre-deployment stress brief and to take periods of rest and recuperation.

"Although there is a policy that requires personnel to be given a pre-deployment brief, our study suggested this policy needs to be more rigorously enforced," said Dr Greenberg.

Even though 20% of those surveyed showed signs of mental distress, only 3% were found to possibly have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

This is lower than among workers in other high-stress occupation, "such as police officers, doctors in emergency departments and disaster workers", the report said.

But a spokesman from a UK charity Combat Stress told BBC News that comparing soldiers in the field to people in other professions was like comparing "apples and peaches".

"The whole military psyche is 'get on, crack on, put up', and there are people rightly or wrongly not willing to express their problems," he said.

"And I think this is an antithesis of the attitude of employees in the public services.

"I think there are cultural things in play here that are perhaps not apparent in the groups that they compared."

Dr Greenberg underlined that it was vital to ensure medical support in military units that covered mental health disorders.

"Improving training, as well as raising awareness among staff of the link between personnel reporting sick and having poorer mental health may help identify those in most need of psychological help," he said.

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Baby P doctor can challenge GMC

29 October 2010 Last updated at 07:10 ET

A doctor accused of failing to spot signs that Baby P was being abused has won the right to legally challenge a General Medical Council disciplinary hearing against her.

Dr Sabah Al-Zayyat is seeking to overturn a GMC ruling that refused to grant her "voluntary erasure" from the medical register on health grounds.

The judge ordered that her challenge be heard in the High Court in November.

The GMC panel must stop its hearing until the challenge is heard, he said.

Dr Al-Zayyat's counsel argued that the panel's decision was "perverse" in the light of medical evidence that the doctor is not well enough to participate in the hearing.

The doctor, who is facing disciplinary action over her conduct, had her application to be removed from the medical register rejected earlier this week.

The GMC ruled that the "serious" allegations against her should be heard in public.

It could ban her from working in the UK.

GMC panel chairman Ralph Bergmann said: "The application for voluntary erasure would avoid a public, and necessary, examination of the facts of this case."

Mr Bergmann added that the doctor's interests were outweighed by the need to maintain public confidence in the medical profession and in the GMC.

Serious injuries

Dr Al-Zayyat saw 17-month-old Peter Connelly at St Ann's Hospital in Haringey days before his death in 2007.

She is accused of failing to carry out an "adequate examination", investigate his injuries or admit him to hospital.

A post-mortem examination found he had probably suffered serious injuries, including a broken back and fractured ribs, before he was examined by Dr Al-Zayyat.

Dr Al-Zayyat is also accused of knowing Peter was on the child protection register.

She had her contract with Great Ormond Street hospital terminated after details of Peter's case came to light.

Dr Al-Zayyat, who did not attend this latest hearing, was originally due to face GMC disciplinary action in February.

The earlier session was adjourned after the panel heard she was "suicidal", unfit to defend herself and had left the country.

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Freeze ovaries to boost fertility

28 October 2010 Last updated at 07:48 ET By Katia Moskvitch Science reporter, BBC News

Young women should freeze parts of their ovaries if they want to postpone motherhood until later in life, a US fertility expert has said.

Dr Sherman Silber told the American Society for Reproductive Medicine meeting in Denver a woman could freeze her ovary at 19 to use when she was 40.

Dr Silber, who says the procedure would work better than egg freezing, did the first full ovary transplant in 2007.

But UK experts warned ovary freezing had not been sufficiently tested.

Women are most fertile when they are young, with the chances to become pregnant diminishing with age, he said.

Although egg-freezing techniques are currently available at clinics in the UK, they usually harbour only a handful of eggs at a time.

It is far from enough to guarantee that a woman would be able to conceive when she decides to re-implant them in future.

Storing a part of an ovary may yield as many as 60,000 eggs, Dr Silber, who is based at the St Luke's clinic in Saint Louis, said.

He added: "The question is, how many cycles of egg retrieval do you need to feel comfortable and secure that you have enough eggs?"

"There's no absolute answer. Women who do egg freezing can't just have one cycle and think they've got it all solved."

And those who opt for several rounds of egg retrieval have to pay for every single procedure, making it "prohibitively expensive", he added.

But he said that removing and then freezing around a section of the ovarian tissue meant "one procedure and the whole thing is done".

'Too early'

Although there are already seven centres around the world that offer the storage of frozen ovarian tissue, there are none in the UK.

Tony Rutherford, chairman of the British Fertility Society, said the research was still very recent and much more needed to be done to ensure the procedure's effectiveness, especially in how successful the re-grafting of the ovarian tissue when a woman was ready to try and conceive would be.

"We don't know how many people have grafts and therefore we don't know how many have been successful and how many have failed," he said.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

People need to know that it is not a guarantee"

End Quote Susan Seenan Infertility Network UK

"We need to see clear evidence of [the method's] effectiveness and that's what we don't have at the moment."

Dr Silber claimed his hospital in Saint Louis has so far managed to carry out three successful ovarian tissue transplants using frozen tissue, which resulted in three births.

There have been 23 babies born from ovary or ovarian tissue transplants worldwide.

Fertility 'epidemic'

Dr Silber added: "We are in the middle of a fertility epidemic across the developed world and the reason our society is changing," he said.

"People are not trying to have children or are not even thinking about getting married until they are 35."

But Susan Seenan of Infertility Network UK told BBC News there was no guarantee that any of the currently used methods, including IVF, would ensure a woman could conceive.

"People should be very careful not to rely on this as a guarantee of success in the future, because you can't actually ensure your fertility.

"There could be other fertility issues, such as blocked tubes or an infertile partner.

"People need to know that it is not a guarantee."

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Councils 'slow' on care budgets

27 October 2010 Last updated at 20:48 ET <!-- Embedding the video player --> <!-- This is the embedded player component -->

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Arvinda Patel says the use of personalised budgets has enhanced her mother's care

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Many councils are struggling with moves to give individual people their own budgets to spend on social care, a watchdog claims.

The Audit Commission warns some need to make significant efforts to meet targets agreed for England last year.

In particular, people with mental health problems could miss out, it claims.

The Department of Health welcomed the report, urging councils to speed up reform.

"Personal budgets" are designed to give people who use social care, and their carers, more choice and control over how their services are provided.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Some have achieved dramatic things but the progress in others raises questions"

End Quote Richard Humphrey King's Fund

The money to pay for them can be provided directly to the user in cash, or held and used on their behalf by a council or private care firm.

The policy, launched in 2007, was backed by the coalition government in May this year.

Challenges

However, the Audit Commission, an independent body which looks at the effectiveness of public bodies in England, says that while some local authorities are on course to meet a target by offering 30% of eligible people their own budget by April 2011, most are not.

Only six of the 152 councils are currently meeting it, the watchdog adds.

What is more, a survey earlier this year showed only 6% of total spending on adult social care had so far been allocated to personal budgets.

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Andy McKeon from the Audit Commission says the system worked well for his own father

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The latest report, compiled using national statistics and in-depth analysis of 12 councils, suggests that local authorities face various challenges when introducing personal budgets to the thousands of local people who need them.

Not only do they have to decide exactly how much money to give each "budget-holder", but they have to change their financial systems to cope with the new system, and provide information to people on how to use it, while making sure that there is a local "market" in social care where the budgets can be spent.

Andy McKeon, managing director of health at the Audit Commission, said: "Introducing this radical change in the funding of social care is a challenging, and ongoing process.

"The rationale behind personal budgets is not saving money, but empowering service users. Personal budgets mean personal choice."

Richard Humphrey, from the King's Fund think-tank, said that the response of some councils had been "disappointing".

"Some have achieved dramatic things but the progress in others raises questions - in one council, 60% of eligible people have a budget, while in another, it's just 13%.

"Councils have all signed up to this - now they need strong leadership to get on with the job."

One of the problems highlighted by the watchdog is social care for people with mental health issues.

Providing personal budgets would mean disentangling money not just from local authority funds, but from NHS funds as well.

'Financial risk'

Many authorities questioned did not provide budgets for these people - with some saying there was a "financial risk" in giving individuals with mental health problems control of their own funding.

Simon Lawton Smith, from the Mental Health Foundation, said that it was not a "good omen" for the future.

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LGA's Richard Kemp: "We think this report is out of date"

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However, a spokesman for the Local Government Association, which represents councils, said that the report was "somewhat outdated", with significant progress made since its figures were gathered.

Local authorities remained committed to personal budgets, and a fresh agreement between all the bodies involved in social care would be announced at a conference next week.

A Department of Health spokesman said that the report echoed its own messages to councils.

He said: "This should help those councils that still need to get to grips with their financial systems to pick up the pace of reform."

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�600m cancer drug fund announced

26 October 2010 Last updated at 19:35 ET

Patients in England will benefit from a �600m fund to improve access to cancer drugs over the next three years, the government has confirmed.

The move is to address the UK's poor record of cancer treatment provision compared with the rest of Europe.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said cancer patients were already getting extra treatments thanks to an interim fund of �50m which began in October.

From next April, the first of three annual �200m sums will be available.

Mr Lansley said this would enable NHS doctors to buy drugs for their patients that can extend life or improve its quality.

"This �200m a year funding over three years for cancer drugs is a crucial step forward in addressing the disparity in patients' access to cancer drugs in England compared to other countries.

"My aim is to truly empower patients."

Greater availability

A recent analysis ranked the UK 12th out of 14 developed countries - which included much of Western Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand - on access to cancer drugs that have come onto the market within the past five years.

Experts said part of the reason was because some of the newer cancer drugs had not been approved by England's drugs regulatory body, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

The extra money should make it easier for doctors to prescribe treatments even if they have not yet been approved by NICE.

Mr Lansley said NICE would continue to appraise most significant new drugs, and would have "an important part to play" in longer-term plans to introduce "value-based pricing" for new medicines.

Hilary Tovey, of Cancer Research UK, said: "This cancer drugs fund could make a real difference for some cancer patients, allowing them to get the treatments they need.

"It's crucial that cancer patients have easy access to the best drugs and that the way this happens is transparent and easy for doctors and patients to understand.

"How this fund operates will be crucial to its success. All patients - wherever they live - must be able to access this fund in a clear and consistent way.

"Its use will need to be carefully monitored, so we can be sure it's being used in the way that benefits patients most."

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Tall men risk testicular cancer

26 October 2010 Last updated at 19:34 ET

Taller men may have a higher risk of getting testicular cancer, say experts in the United States.

After looking at data on more than 10,000 men, researchers found that for every extra two inches or 5cm in height above average, the risk went up by 13%.

But experts stressed the lifetime risk of developing this cancer is low - one in 210 for men in the UK.

So even for men exceeding the average height of British men (5ft 9ins), the risk would remain relatively small.

And the National Cancer Institute researchers still do not understand how increased height raises a man's risk of testicular cancer.

Other factors, like family history, carry more of a risk, they told the British Journal of Cancer.

Fewer than 2,000 new cases of testicular cancer are diagnosed each year in the UK, accounting for just 1% of male cancers.

Height link

The data the US team analysed came from 13 different studies investigating testicular cancer.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Tall men should not be alarmed by this research since fewer than four in 100 testicular lumps are actually cancerous"

End Quote Sara Hiom Cancer Research UK

All of these studies, spanning the last decade, included both figures on the cancer's incidence and height records of the men involved.

Dr Michael Blaise Cook and his team looked at the data to see if cancer risk might tally with height and weight measurements.

They found no link between body weight and the cancer but a trend emerged with height, with taller men at increased risk of testicular cancer.

Sara Hiom, director of health information at Cancer Research UK, said: "Tall men should not be alarmed by this research since fewer than four in 100 testicular lumps are actually cancerous.

"But it is still important for men to be aware of any changes to the size and weight of their testicles and not delay seeing their GP if they are concerned. This is particularly true for young men as the disease is more common with under-35 year olds.

"The outlook for testicular cancer is also one of the best for all cancers - even after the disease has spread, patients can be cured."

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&#39;Contraceptive gel&#39; shows promise

25 October 2010 Last updated at 19:14 ET

A birth control gel that is applied to the skin could offer woman an alternative to the Pill, say experts presenting latest trial data.

Used once daily, it delivers hormones to prevent a pregnancy in the same way as oral contraceptives do.

Early studies show the gel is effective and well tolerated, with none of the typical side effects associated with the Pill, like weight gain and acne.

The Nestorone gel is being developed with drug firm Antares Pharma.

Researchers told the American Society for Reproductive Medicine how they hope to bring the product to market if clinical trial results continue to be positive.

The gel can be applied to the abdomen, thighs, arms or shoulders and is quickly absorbed, with no residue.

Experts say it is also suitable for women who are breastfeeding, unlike the combined Pill which can interfere with milk supply.

Dr Ruth Merkatz from the not-for-profit Population Council research centre in New York led the latest study, which involved 18 women in their 20s to 30s.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

There are approximately two million women using a contraceptive method that they are unhappy with, so they will benefit from improved choices and options"

End Quote Natika Halil The Family Planning Association

The research found the optimum dose of the gel was 3mg a day.

Over the course of seven months, none of the women using the treatment fell pregnant. Hormone studies showed the gel suppressed the production of eggs by the ovary.

Dr Merkatz said: "From this small study we found it was effective.

"It's in early stage development but if we move on, we will obviously test it in many, many more women."

The researchers say it could offer an alternative to the Pill, which is used by over 3m women in the UK alone.

Natika Halil, director of information at the Family Planning Association, said: "Any contraceptive system that increases the choice of methods available to women and helps to prevent unwanted pregnancies is welcome.

"Our research shows that there are approximately two million women using a contraceptive method that they are unhappy with, so they will benefit from improved choices and options.

"This product won't suit everyone and will only be for women comfortable (with) putting it on their skin and having their contraceptive cover that way."

Simon Blake, chief executive of sexual health charity Brook, said: "Obviously this is still in the very early stages of development but anything that can help young women has got to be a good thing.

"Clearly what young women need is more choice."

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New polio vaccine more effective

25 October 2010 Last updated at 19:20 ET By Ania Lichtarowicz Health reporter, BBC News

A new vaccine against the polio virus has helped reduce the number of cases by more than 90%.

Research published online in the journal The Lancet, shows that the new vaccine is significantly better at protecting children against polio than the current popular vaccine.

It has already been used in Afghanistan, India and Nigeria.

The scientists behind the work believe this new vaccine could help to finally eradicate the disease.

Disease elimination

Mass vaccination campaigns have led to the number of polio endemic countries falling from 125 in 1988 to just four in 2005.

This meant an actual drop in cases from 350,000 to just 1,606 in 2009.

Polio is caused by one of 3 versions of the polivirus: type1, type 2 or type 3.

Until recently, vaccines targetting either all three forms of the virus or just one of them were used to immunisie children.

The last case of type 2 polio was recorded in India in 1999, so it's the other two types that need to be targeted to finally eliminate the disease.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

This vaccine could get us over the top and get us to the finish line for eradication."

End Quote Dr. Roland Sutter WHO

The authors of the study carried out a trial in India comparing the commonly used old vaccines to the new one, which is taken orally.

In total, 830 newborn babies received either the new vaccine or one of the old vaccines in two doses - one at birth and one 30 days later.

Blood samples were taken before vaccination and after the first and second doses to measure seroconversion - the rise in antibodies produced by the immune system against polio.

It appears that the new vaccine is about 30% more effective in protecting against polio than the most commonly used vaccine to date.

Finish Line

The new vaccine has already been used in immunisation campaigns in Afghanistan, India and Nigeria.

In India the number of cases this time last year was 464. Over the same period this year there have only been only 39 cases.

Nigeria has seen an even greater difference, with cases falling by 95%.

The new vaccine and improved immunisation programmes appear to be responsible for this significant decrease, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Dr Roland Sutter, from the WHO and the lead author of the study, told BBC News: "This (new) vaccine could get us over the top and get us to the finish line for eradication.

"The dramatic drop in the number of polio cases in India and Nigeria is attributable to the new vaccine and better coverage during immunization campaigns."

Commenting on the research, Nigel Crawford and Jim Buttery from the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (SAEFVIC) in Melbourne, Australia, said that the new vaccine had shown great promise.

However they cautioned that the global financial crisis had resulted in a massive funding gap for immunisation programmes worldwide, including polio.

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Nurse &#39;switched off life support&#39;

24 October 2010 Last updated at 19:25 ET <!-- Embedding the video player --> <!-- This is the embedded player component -->

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Nurse Violetta Aylward was captured on film accidentally switching off her patient's ventilator, leaving him brain-damaged.

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An agency nurse working for the NHS was filmed switching off her patient's life support machine by mistake.

Tetraplegic Jamie Merrett, 37, had a bedside camera set up at his home in Wiltshire, after becoming concerned about the care he was receiving.

Within days, it captured the moment Violetta Aylward switched off the ventilator, leaving him brain-damaged.

Ambition 24hours, which supplied her, said it could not comment as an internal investigation was continuing.

A confidential report by Wiltshire social services into the incident - leaked to the BBC's Inside Out programme - concluded the agency was fully aware it was required to supply a nurse with training in the use of a ventilator, but the company did not have adequate systems in place to check what training their staff had received.

Mr Merrett, from Devizes, has been cared for at home on a life-support machine since 2002 after being left paralysed from the neck downwards following a road accident.

Despite his disabilities, he was able to talk, use a wheelchair and operate a computer using voice-activated technology.

His sister Karren Reynolds said he had become increasingly worried about serious errors involving nurses operating his ventilator, but claimed that health bosses did not act on e-mails of concern which he sent them.

In January 2009, he arranged to have a camera installed in his room. A few days later, the ventilator was switched off.

After 21 minutes, the machine was eventually restarted by paramedics but by then Mr Merrett had suffered serious brain damage.

Legal action

Ms Reynolds, who is considering legal action, said his level of understanding had dropped to that of a young child.

"His life is completely changed. He doesn't have a life now," she said.

"He has an existence but it's nowhere near what it was before. He is very brain damaged compared to what he was before. He was a highly intelligent man and you could have long in-depth conversations with him and now it tends to be more simplistic."

The solicitor acting for Mr Merrett, Seamus Edney of SJ Edney in Swindon, said: "In my experience, this is the worst case of negligence on the part of a nurse.

"No-one has come forward to make any admission, so now almost two years after the event we are trying to get someone to admit liability for what has happened."

The NHS Wiltshire Primary Care Trust said in a statement: "[We have] put in place a series of actions to ensure that such an event will not occur again either for this patient or others. The incident is the subject of likely litigation so the PCT is restricted in what further it may say in public."

Ms Aylward has been suspended while the incident is investigated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Their guidelines say a nurse should work within their level of competence and have the skills to undertake whatever care they are delivering.

Ms Aylward, who is from Reading, has not responded to requests for an interview.

The programme will be shown on Inside Out West and Inside Out South on BBC One at 1930 BST on Monday 25 October.

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Women &#39;miss father health clues&#39;

24 October 2010 Last updated at 19:01 ET

Women at risk of breast cancer miss out on tests and early diagnosis because their father's family's health history is disregarded, a study has suggested.

Canadian researchers say in Lancet Oncology that women were more likely to report a history of the disease on their mother's side.

They found women with a maternal cancer history were five times more likely to be referred by family doctors.

A UK cancer charity said a father's history was "often overlooked".

It is thought that between 5% and 10% of breast and ovarian cancers are the result of a genetic inheritance.

This is equally likely to have come from either the father or mother.

A significant chunk of this genetic risk is known to come from defects on either the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, which make it much more likely that a woman will develop breast or ovarian cancer in her lifetime.

If a woman has a strong family history of breast cancer, she can be referred for further testing to see if she has a known gene defect.

She can then take steps to reduce the risk, or simply get checked more regularly to catch the cancer early.

'Sometimes overlooked'

The Lancet Oncology research, led by Jeanna McCuaig from the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, found that despite the equal chance of inheritance from mother or father, the maternal history seemed to be taken more seriously.

They looked at records from their own clinic, and found the difference in referral rates.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

It's important to know that faulty genes can be inherited from the father, as well as the mother. "

End Quote Dr Caitlin Palframan Breakthrough Breast Cancer

They concluded that there were two reasons for this - a lack of knowledge in women about the risks, and a similar problem among family doctors, who did not ask women about the history of breast cancer on their father's side.

She wrote: "Anecdotally, we know of two patients - a man with a substantial history of breast and ovarian cancer, and a woman with a known BRCA2 gene mutation in her paternal family - who were both falsely reassured by their healthcare providers that this history did not increase their, or their daughters' cancer risks.

"The patients were not offered genetic assessment and testing or the appropriate medical options"

The charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer said similar problems could occur in the UK.

Dr Caitlin Palframan, policy manager, said: "We know that a family history on the father's side is sometimes overlooked as a risk factor for breast cancer, but it's important to know that faulty genes can be inherited from the father, as well as the mother.

"However, this is unusual as only around one in 20 of all breast cancers are due to inherited faults in known genes.

"A family history means having an unusually high number of close relatives with breast cancer on one side of the family."

She urged anyone concerned about breast cancer cases in their family history to speak to their doctor.

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Bitter tastes &#39;could ease asthma&#39;

24 October 2010 Last updated at 14:39 ET

The discovery of "taste receptors" in the lungs rather than on the tongue could point the way to new medicines for asthma, it is suggested.

Experiments in mice revealed that bombarding the receptors with bitter-tasting compounds helped open the airways, which could ease breathing.

The University of Maryland study, published in Nature Medicine, may have implications for other lung diseases.

Asthma UK warned that any new drug would not arrive for some time.

The "taste receptors" discovered in the smooth muscle of the lungs are not the same as those clustered in taste buds in the mouth.

They do not send signals to the brain, and yet, when exposed to bitter substances, they still respond.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

This approach could potentially pave the way for a new range of asthma treatments based on bitter substances. "

End Quote Leanne Metcalf Asthma UK

It was the nature of that response that surprised researchers, who assumed their presence was as a defence against noxious gases, triggering a tightening of the airways and coughing.

In fact, the mouse experiments revealed that exactly the reverse was true.

Protective response

When airway tissue from mice was treated with bitter substances, then exposed to allergens, there appeared to be a protective response.

Dr Stephen Liggett, leading the research, said: "They all opened the airway more profoundly than any known drug that we have for the treatment of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease."

In asthma, and other lung diseases, the smooth muscle lining the airway contracts, narrowing it, and drugs such as salbutamol help relax and open it, restoring normal breathing.

Dr Liggett said that an inhaler based on bitter substances such as quinine or even saccharine, which has a bitter after-taste, could "replace or enhance" current treatment.

He warned that simply eating bitter foods would not help protect from or relieve an asthma attack.

Dr Yassine Amrani, an asthma researcher at the University of Leicester, said the research was very "encouraging", potentially offering a new target for treatment.

He said future studies could focus on trying to reproduce the effect in human as well as mouse airway tissues, and making sure that the substances did not produce unwanted side effects such as inflammation.

He said: "The concept of having bitter taste receptors in the smooth muscle of the airways is a new one, and activating this receptor could offer a new way to relax them."

Leanne Metcalf, director of research at Asthma UK said that a significant number of the 5.4m asthmatics in the UK did not control their symptoms using existing drugs, and that research into new, more effective treatments, was "vital".

She said: "The effectiveness of bitter substances at overcoming the airway narrowing that causes asthma symptoms has so far only been tested in mice, however this somewhat surprising approach does make sense in terms of what we already know about the cell signalling processes involved in asthma.

"With further in-depth research, this approach could potentially pave the way for a new range of asthma treatments based on bitter substances which could either supplement or replace existing asthma treatments but if this were possible, it would be a long way into the future."

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Charity warns over child drinkers

22 October 2010 Last updated at 19:06 ET

The charity Alcohol Concern has issued a stark warning about the number of children drinking at dangerous levels.

It has published a report estimating the cost of hospital treatment for underage drinkers in England to be about �19m a year.

And the number of under-18s ending up in hospital after drinking too much is rising, the charity has warned.

Young people should be given more support it says, but one expert said parents also have a role to play.

Alcohol Concern's report, entitled Right Time, Right Place, states that alcohol contributes to 5% of young people's deaths - 1.4% more than in the adult population - and is "a significant problem for the UK".

The UK also has the highest rates of teenage alcohol-related injuries in Europe.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

The wider community has a major role in pressing for policies around price, availability and marketing of alcohol that protect children"

End Quote Prof Sir Iain Gilmore Alcohol Health Alliance UK

The number of under-18s admitted to hospital in England, where alcohol was a factor, increased from 10,976 in 2002/3 to 14,501 in 2007/8.

In 2008/9 the number of admissions fell to 12,832.

All these admissions figure exclude emergency department attendances, which could increase the number.

Last year, 8,799 under-18s accessed specialist treatment for tackling alcohol problems, the report says.

'Risky drinking'

The report calls for earlier identification of young people engaged in 'risky' drinking, such as young people attending A&E or getting into trouble with the police for alcohol.

The minute that alcohol appears to be becoming a problem for a young person aged under 18, information, advice and support should be provided, Alcohol Concern says.

Don Shenker, chief executive of the charity, said that drinking in children is a "huge problem".

"Some of these youngsters are as young as 10. Remember these are children we are talking about and their bodies can't process alcohol like adults can."

"We are extremely concerned about the damage to children's health."

He maintained the costs of early intervention are far less than the costs of treating the health problems of long-term alcohol misuse by children and young people.

"Training medical staff as alcohol specialists is a cost-effective measure. The 'do nothing option' is far more costly," Mr Shenker said.

Professor Jonathan Shepherd, who directs Cardiff University's Violence and Society Research Group, said: "These findings demonstrate as never before the need to capitalise on every episode of emergency treatment to educate and protect."

Role models

Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of Alcohol Health Alliance UK, said: "We know that heavy drinking from an early age can diminish the life chances of the young person involved. It is important that parents realise they are role models - their behaviour in relation to alcohol has more impact than what they tell their children.

"Equally, the wider community has a major role in pressing for policies around price, availability and marketing of alcohol that protect children."

Susie Ramsay, policy adviser at The Children's Society, said that money and time could be saved if more resources were focused on preventative services.

"Early intervention and preventative services have a proven track record, particularly with relation to young people's substance misuse.

"If these are put in place, the number of young people being admitted to A&E due to drinking is bound to be reduced and money saved."

A spokesperson from the Department of Health said: "This report shows the devastating impact that alcohol has on the lives young people who drink too much.

"We must educate them so they understand how bad it is for their health now and in the long term. And we must do more to stop shops selling alcohol to under 18s.

"Everyone has a part to play in this. Parents, police, education and social services need to work together.

"The new Public Health Service will give communities the power and budget to tackle alcohol problems in their areas."

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Care cuts &#39;may hit hospital beds&#39;

22 October 2010 Last updated at 20:01 ET

Hospital beds in England may fill up with the elderly and vulnerable because of cuts to local authority social care funding, a top NHS figure has warned.

The claim came from the head of the NHS Confederation, Nigel Edwards, in a letter to the Daily Telegraph.

Mr Edwards said people who needed medical treatment may be denied a hospital bed as a result of the cuts.

The Department for Health responded that an extra �2bn was being allocated to protect social care.

Health spending was ring-fenced in Chancellor George Osborne's Spending Review.

However, councils in England are facing a 27% cut in central government funding over the next four years.

Mr Edwards, whose organisation represents health service bodies in England, said this funding squeeze could have a "knock-on effect" on the health service.

In his letter to the Telegraph, Mr Edwards said: "Less support from council services will quickly lead to increased pressure on emergency services and hospitals.

"Hospital beds will be blocked for those who badly need care because the support services the elderly require after discharge will not be available."

Continue reading the main story

Spending Review: Key measures

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� �81bn cut from public spending over four years

� 19% average departmental cuts - less than the 25% expected

� �7bn extra welfare cuts, including changes to incapacity, housing benefit and tax credits

� �1.8bn increase in public sector pension employee contributions by 2014

� Rise in state pension age brought forward

� 7% cut for local councils from April next year

� Permanent bank levy

� Rail fares to rise 3% above inflation from 2012

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He added: "When it comes to the care of the most vulnerable in our society, it really is essential that the NHS and local authorities are in it together."

The Department of Health said it understood that "social care can impact on NHS demands".

A spokeswoman said: "That's why we are strengthening programmes like re-ablement and the 30-day re-admission tariff, which will integrate hospital care with care in the community.

"We have allocated an additional �2bn by 2014-15 - this extra boost, alongside an ambitious programme of efficiency, will ensure that there is enough funding available both to protect people's access to services and deliver new approaches to improve quality and outcomes.

"We expect local health and social care professionals will work together to ensure that the funding is spent on joint health and social care priorities and improve outcomes for everyone."

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Aspirin &#39;cuts bowel cancer cases&#39;

21 October 2010 Last updated at 19:20 ET By Nick Triggle Health reporter, BBC News

A daily aspirin tablet may help prevent bowel cancer, a study suggests.

Oxford University found it cut cases by a quarter and deaths by more than a third in a review of 14,000 patients.

Aspirins are already widely used to help protect people against strokes and heart problems, although many healthy middle-aged people do not take them because of the risk of side-effects.

But researchers said their findings - published by the Lancet - "tipped the balance" in favour of taking them.

They followed up four study groups over a period of 20 years to identify the impact of regular small doses of of the drug - the tablets given for medical reasons are often a quarter of a strength of those used to treat headaches.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

To date, for healthy middle-aged people it has been a fine balance as to whether to take aspirins, but this tips it in my view"

End Quote Professor Peter Rothwell Lead researcher

They found it reduced the risk of the incidence of bowel cancer by 24% and of dying from the disease by 35%.

And even though regular aspirin use can have side-effects, the researchers said it was still worthwhile as on such low doses these tended to be relatively minor, such as bruising or nose bleeds.

One in 20 people in the UK develops bowel cancer over their lifetime, making it the third most common cancer. About 16,000 people die each year as a result of it.

The findings build on previous research on the issue, and come after the government announced earlier this month it was looking to start a new screening programme for bowel cancer for 55-year-olds.

Lead researcher Professor Peter Rothwell said the screening would provide the perfect opportunity for doctors to discuss with their patients about whether to take aspirin.

"To date, for healthy middle-aged people it has been a fine balance as to whether to take aspirins, but this tips it in my view.

"There is a small benefit for vascular disease and now we know a big benefit for this cancer. In the future, I am sure it will be shown that aspirin helps prevent other cancers too."

'Talk to GP'

He added those with a high risk of bowel cancer, including the obese and those with a family history of the disease, should give aspirin treatment a particular consideration.

Mark Flannagan, chief executive of Beating Bowel Cancer, said they were "very positive" findings and giving aspirin alongside the new screening programme should be looked at.

But he added: "Anyone considering starting a course of medication should first consult their GP."

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Tennis elbow jabs &#39;make it worse&#39;

21 October 2010 Last updated at 19:21 ET

Using steroid injections for tendon problems like tennis elbow could do more harm than good, says a study in The Lancet.

It found that injections reduced pain for the first few weeks, but made the condition worse in the long term.

University of Queensland researchers analysed the treatment of tendinopathy in more than 2,600 patients from 41 previous studies.

Experts say exercising the affected area is preferable.

In the study, Australian researchers looked at past randomised trials comparing steroid injections into the tendon with placebo, which is equivalent to no treatment at all.

When analysing the trials, they assessed the clinical efficacy of the treatments in the short term, intermediate and long term.

They also analysed different areas of tendinopathy, like rotator cuff tendinopathy (shoulder) and jumper's knee.

'Strong evidence'

Writing in The Lancet, the authors concluded: "Our systematic review challenges continued use of corticosteroid injections by providing strong evidence that they are worse in the long term than are most conservative interventions for tendinopathy."

This was particularly true for the treatment of lateral epicondylitis, known as tennis elbow.

The research found that in treating tennis elbow, corticosteroid injection had a large effect on reduction of pain compared with placebo in the short term, from three to six weeks.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Exercise stimulates the tendon to repair by stimulating the tendon cells to make new proteins."

End Quote Dr Karim Khan UBC, Vancouver

But treatment with injections over a longer period, from four to six months up to 12 months, was not found to be beneficial.

In fact, researchers found that it made the pain from tennis elbow worse.

Tennis elbow is most common in people between the ages of 30 and 50 and is caused by a strain to the extensor tendons in the forearm.

Any activity that involves heavy gripping and twisting of the forearm, not just tennis, can cause this type of strain.

Writing about the findings in The Lancet, Dr Alexander Scott and Dr Karim Khan from the University of British Columbia in Canada, recommend exercise as the best way to cure tendinopathies.

"Specific exercise therapy might produce more cures at six and 12 months than one or more corticosteroid injections."

Dr Khan said: "It sounds old-fashioned but specific exercise programmes are better than rest.

"Exercise stimulates the tendon to repair by stimulating the tendon cells to make new proteins.

"Tennis elbow and other tendinopathies have been shown to be a failure of tissue, not a result of inflammation, so exercise is the right thing to do."

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Fears over health budget promises

21 October 2010 Last updated at 08:47 ET <!-- Adding hypertab --> <!-- end of hypertab --> By Nick Triggle Health reporter, BBC News

Questions are being asked about the high-profile government promises made over health and social care spending.

Chancellor George Osborne claimed to have increased NHS spending as well as pumping an extra �2bn into social care in the Spending Review in England.

But shadow health secretary John Healey suggests the NHS figures do not add up, while campaigners fear social care may not see all the money.

The government said its plans meant NHS and social care were going to benefit.

The Tories made increasing NHS spending one of the central themes of the election campaign with the slogan "we will cut the debt, not the NHS".

Extra costs

The government said on Wednesday it had kept to that promise - the combined capital and resource budget will rise by 0.1% a year on average in real terms throughout this parliament.

However, in a letter to Health Secretary Andrew Lansley, Mr Healey said these rises ignore several extra costs the NHS is having to bear.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

More effective partnership working must be the desired outcome"

End Quote Stephen Burke Counsel and Care

He said the government is taking �1bn a year out of the NHS for social care by insisting the health service invest in services that overlap with council social services departments, such as rehab care following discharge from hospital. He accused ministers of "double counting".

The bill for the shake-up of the health service - primary care trusts are being scrapped and GPs put in charge of local budgets - will also amount to between �2bn and �3bn over the next four years, while the VAT increase will cost �250m.

Mr Healey said: "The NHS will have to find these extra costs within a funding settlement which it is increasingly clear falls far short of what many in the NHS believed your government had promised."

These are on top of the extra long-term pressures from the cost of new drugs, obesity and the ageing population.

Independent experts, including the King's Fund and Nuffield Trust think-tanks, agreed a case could be made for saying the small real terms rise would be swallowed up.

The Nuffield Trust also raised concerns about the extra money earmarked for social care.

Of the �2bn a year extra that is being ploughed into the system by 2014, half is coming from a direct grant to local government.

But as councils are facing an overall cut of 27% in their budget from central government, the Nuffield Trust said social care may not end up seeing the extra money.

Jennifer Dixon, chief executive of the think tank, said: "The reality is that local authority budgets will be stretched and funds for social care are not ring-fenced, so the extra �1bn per year is by no means certain."

Stephen Burke, of Counsel and Care, the older people's charity, agreed it was a risk. He also said getting the NHS and councils to work together to make sure the �1bn of NHS funds benefited social care was a "major challenge."

He said in the past the two sectors had often failed to work together.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley rejected Labour's criticisms and said the opposition was comparing different numbers from different sources.

He added: "We said in our Spending Review that up to �1bn of the NHS capital budget will be made available to be spent on measures that support social care and benefit health, by the end of the Spending Review.

"Without adequate social care, people would be admitted into hospital unnecessarily, and beds would be blocked because people could not be cared for at home. So this investment benefits both health and social care."

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Call for forceps birth training

20 October 2010 Last updated at 19:28 ET

More training in techniques used during difficult births could help reduce the number of caesarean sections, an expert suggests.

Prabbha Sinha, a consultant obstetrician, says that junior doctors need more time using simulators that help them practise forceps deliveries.

There are wide variations in caesarean rates from hospital to hospital.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said regulations cutting training hours were partly responsible.

Forceps, metal instruments which are placed on the baby's head so it can be pulled outwards, and ventouse, a suction cap which is also placed on the head, help doctors apply pressure when a woman is having difficulty delivering the head by pushing alone.

These "instrumental" deliveries have fallen over the years, as the rate of caesarean sections has risen. The suggestion is that doctors unsure of their abilities with these instruments are opting for caesarean where a forceps delivery could be made.

Mr Sinha, who works at Conquest Hospital in St Leonard's-on-Sea, wrote in professional publication "The Obstetrician and Gynaecologist" that extra training could reverse this trend.

He said: "Emergency caesarean sections carry the risk of severe obstetric morbidity, but if conducted properly, instrumental deliveries can be safe and make it easier to give birth again vaginally."

He backed the use of mannequins which allow doctors to try the techniques before encountering a woman in labour.

He said: "Enhanced practical training is required for all junior doctors using simulators to maximise expertise prior to clinical application.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

It's true that if you have people who are very experienced with ventouse and forceps, the caesarean rate goes down"

End Quote Patrick O'Brien Consultant obstetrician

"It is essential that trainees perform these procedures under the direct supervision of a trained and experienced obstetrician."

A recent study looked at caesarean rates across England, and found wide variations, attributing this not to women choosing caesarean in preference to natural labour, but mainly to differences in the way clinical teams made decisions.

Patrick O'Brien, also a consultant, and a spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said junior doctors would be more likely to opt for caesareans if they were working unsupervised by a consultant, for example during a night shift, and if they had relatively little experience or training in forceps use.

He said: "The European Working Time Directive has meant falls in the number of training hours, and the total years of training have been reduced.

"It's true that if you have people who are very experienced with ventouse and forceps, the caesarean rate goes down."

He backed the call for more training, especially with more modern mannequins which help doctors assess their technique more accurately.

"Where I work, the mannequin actually tells you how hard you are pulling, so you can get that right."

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NHS gets &#39;bare minimum&#39; cash rise

20 October 2010 Last updated at 11:39 ET By Nick Triggle Health reporter, BBC News <!-- Embedding the video player --> <!-- This is the embedded player component -->

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George Osborne: "Productivity in the NHS fell steadily over the last ten years and that must not continue"

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The NHS budget in England will get the above inflation rises it was promised this parliament, but by only the "bare minimum" margin.

Funding will rise by �10bn to �114bn over the next four years - the equivalent of a 0.1% a year hike in real terms.

But the NHS still has to make some sacrifices.

Plans for one-week urgent cancer tests are being scrapped, while unions warned further cuts were inevitable.

Concerns are being raised because historically health spending has gone up by over 4% in real terms.

This is because the ageing population, obesity and the cost of new drugs mean an extra 3% is needed just to stand still.

'Fair society'

Fears were confirmed shortly after Chancellor George Osborne confirmed the rise in the budget in the House of Commons.

In his address, Mr Osborne explained the rise by saying: "The NHS is an intrinsic part of the fabric of our country. It is the embodiment of a fair society. To govern is to choose. And we have chosen the NHS."

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

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The funding settlement is one of the worst since the creation of the NHS in 1948.

It is the first time there has been such a sustained period of small rises.

The worst one-off cut was in 1953-4 when the budget fell by 6.3%, but that was followed by rises of 2.8% and 4.8%.

Small dips in the late 1970s and early 1980s were more than compensated for in subsequent years.

In fact, the �10bn rise by 2014 was virtually the minimum the government could get away with.

Ahead of the election, the Tories said the NHS budget would get above inflation increases.

It has, but only just.

The increase is the equivalent of just 0.1% a year on average - a sum which will be easily swallowed by rising costs from factors such as obesity and the ageing population.

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But as soon as he finished the Department of Health confirmed capital spending, on things such as buildings, would be cut by 17%.

Pledges made by the previous government to offer one-week cancer testing with an urgent GP referral and to extend the free prescriptions scheme were both scrapped as well.

The health service has also been ordered to find �1bn a year by the end of the parliament to help social care services that overlap the NHS, such as rehabilitation care after discharge from hospital.

Meanwhile, the government was unable to guarantee that the cancer drugs fund would get �200m as previously promised.

This comes on top of the public pay freeze and purge of quangos already announced.

The NHS had already been planning for a squeeze.

The previous government asked the NHS to make between �15bn and �20bn of efficiency savings by 2014 - the equivalent of 5% productivity gains a year.

This target has been kept in place by the coalition despite the increase in the budget.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley acknowledged the health service was facing a tough time.

He said: "The budget will have to stretch further than ever in these difficult times."

But unions said the consequences could be even greater, saying services could be closed and waiting lists rise.

Peter Carter, of the Royal College of Nursing, said the rise would "still feel like a cut".

'Havoc'

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis added it was a "facade".

"The NHS is not safe. Some hospitals are already cutting back on vital life-improving operations such as cataract, hip and knee replacements.

"The NHS needs extra funding just to stand still. It will not be able to keep up."

He also reiterated his criticisms of government reforms, which will see GPs take control of the budget and primary care trusts abolished.

He said they would "create havoc and instability just when the NHS can least afford it".

Professor John Appleby, chief economist of the King's Fund think-tank, even questioned whether the government had really kept to its promise.

"The NHS has got the bare minimum and I'm not sure you can say it is a real terms increase.

"There is an element of double counting to the social care promise. It is money the NHS is giving to other services. I'm not saying social care doesn't deserve it, but it is not money the health service can spend on what it wants to and if you take that out of the budget it is no longer a real rise."

However, the NHS Confederation, which represents managers, said the settlement was probably the best the health service could have hoped for.

The rest of the UK will not make a final decision on health spending until later this year. All have promised to offer some protection to the NHS, although not in such a categorical manner as ministers in England did.

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&#39;More pay&#39; call for sperm donors

19 October 2010 Last updated at 20:22 ET By Adam Brimelow Health Correspondent, BBC News

Men who donate sperm for IVF should possibly be reimbursed more than women who donate eggs, a leading fertility campaigner has suggested.

Laura Witjens, who chairs the UK's National Gamete Donation Trust and has donated her own eggs, says most people are not aware of the "serious commitment" involved in sperm donation.

She argues it is wrong to see it as less worthy than egg donation.

But fertility experts say donating eggs is invasive and carries greater risks.

Fertility clinics are not allowed to pay for eggs and sperm, but they can compensate donors up to �250 for loss of earnings plus expenses.

That limit is about to be reviewed by the fertility watchdog, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, particularly for women, who have hormone treatment and an operation to take out the eggs.

The question of reimbursement is being debated at the Royal Society of Medicine later.

Ms Witjens argues that sperm donors, who are asked to avoid sex and alcohol for several months while making regular visits to a clinic, should receive "at least the same payment if not more than egg donors".

'Heroes'

In an article for the BBC News website's "Scrubbing Up" column, she says it is wrong that most attention is paid to egg donors who enjoy "elevated status", while sperm donors may be subjected to "jokes or smutty comments".

"Assuming [sperm donors] follow the guidelines, it means we're asking healthy men aged between 20 and 45 (and their partners) to have very limited sexual activity for months on end. This has a significant impact on their normal life," Ms Witjens writes.

"Just like egg donors, to the families these guys help, they are heroes. And that's something that deserves recognition from us all."

She acknowledges that donating eggs involves risks and is much more intrusive; 10 years ago she donated her own eggs for use in IVF treatment.

But Ms Witjens concludes that payment should not be based solely on medical risk, and that sperm donors should be rewarded for their "commitment, dedication and selflessness".

Many fertility experts disagree with higher reimbursement for sperm donors.

Dr Allan Pacey, a senior lecturer in andrology at Sheffield University, says he is personally uncomfortable with the debate over money, arguing that "the clue is in the name - donations".

But he says: "We have argued historically that women should be paid more because they take more risk."

'Woefully inadequate'

However, he agrees that sperm donors are not treated well enough. "In society we tend to sneer. That chips away at potential donors."

Sarah Norcross, director of Progress Educational Trust, also disagrees with the idea of offering more for sperm donors, arguing that women face a "much more intrusive procedure".

She said: "There's always a risk attached, much higher than for a man turning up and doing the business in a jar."

However she agrees that the level of compensation for men and women should increase, describing the current limit as "woefully inadequate".

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&#39;Tipsy&#39; alcohol gene discovered

19 October 2010 Last updated at 21:01 ET By Michelle Roberts Health reporter, BBC News

Experts say they have found a "tipsy" gene that explains why some people feel alcohol's effects quicker than others.

The US researchers believe 10% to 20% of people have this gene - called CYP2E1 - and that it may offer some protection against alcoholism.

That is because people who react strongly to alcohol are less likely to become addicted, studies show.

The University of North Carolina said the study aims to help fight addiction, not pave the way for a cheap night out.

Ultimately, people could be given CYP2E1-like drugs to make them more sensitive to alcohol - not to get them drunk more quickly, but to put them off drinking to inebriation, the Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research journal reported.

Straight to the head

Lead researcher Professor Kirk Wilhelmsen said: "Obviously we are a long way off having a treatment, but the gene we have found tells us a lot about how alcohol affects the brain."

Most of the alcohol people consume is broken down in the liver, but some is metabolised in the brain by an enzyme which the CYP2E1 gene provides coded instructions for.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Alcoholism is a very complex disease, and there are lots of complicated reasons why people drink. This may be just one of the reasons"

End Quote Professor Kirk Wilhelmsen, who led the research

People who have the "tipsy" version of CYP2E1 break down alcohol more readily, which explains why they feel the effects of alcohol much quicker than others.

The researchers made their discovery by studying more than 200 pairs of students who were siblings and who had one alcohol-dependent parent but who did not have a drink problem themselves.

They gave the students a mixture of grain alcohol and soda that was equivalent to about three average alcoholic drinks. At regular intervals the students were then asked whether they felt drunk, sober, sleepy or awake.

The researchers then compared the findings with gene test results from the students.

This revealed that CYP2E1 on chromosome 10 appears to dictate whether a person can hold their drink better than others.

Professor Wilhelmsen says more research is now needed to see if the findings could be used to make new treatments to tackle alcohol addiction.

"Alcoholism is a very complex disease, and there are lots of complicated reasons why people drink. This may be just one of the reasons," he added.

Don Shenker, of the charity Alcohol Concern, said that, in most cases, alcohol abuse stemmed from social problems, with alcohol used as a prop.

Professor Colin Drummond, an expert in addiction at London's Institute of Psychiatry, said it was likely to be combination of genes and environment.

"It is well recognised that alcohol dependence runs in families," he said.

He said research suggests having an alcoholic parent quadruples a person's risk of developing a drinking problem.

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