Balance September 2017 - 7

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WORD

Science
A HAPPY 'C WORD'
One potential scientific
breakthrough has come
to light that could help to
combat multiple sclerosis.
MS is a neurological
condition that affects
the nervous system and
has around 2.5 million
sufferers worldwide. Now
it has emerged that a group
underwent chemotherapy
and stem cell bone marrow
transplant as part of an
experimental 2002 study.
Of 24 patients, 70% saw the
disease halted or reversed.
'Everyone is hesitating to
use the "c word", but these
patients are cured,' says
Michael Rudnicki of the
Ottawa Health Research
Institute. Meanwhile,
Dr Su Metcalfe of biotech
company LIFNano also
appears to have made a
breakthrough. By using
stem cell proteins that form
naturally in the body, the
research hopes to combat
MS by using mechanisms
already within the body.
Dr Metcalfe explains: 'We're
simply switching on the
body's own systems of selftolerance and repair.'

Campaign
FIGHT FOR
YOUR RIGHT
Given you're reading this
magazine, there's every
chance you're an openminded sort. We'd even
wager you fully support
equal rights, what with it
being 2017 and everything.
However, with the news
that hate crimes against
LGBT people in Britain
have increased by 78%
in five years (from 9% in
2013 to 16% in 2017), clearly
more needs to be done.
It's why Stonewall
(stonewall.org.uk) - the
charity renowned for
lobbying for equality
- has just launched its
Come Out for LGBT
campaign, which asks
everyone to report any
incidents or abuse you
come into contact with.

Environment
TRASH TALKING
A craze that's slowly
sweeping across the globe
is... picking up litter. OK,
as crazes go, it might
not be as glamorous as,
say, the Macarena, but
it's a trend nonetheless.
Take3ForTheSea is an
Australian Instagram
account with more than
50,000 followers that
urges everyone to, as
you can guess, pick up
three bits of litter. There's
also Jeff Kirschner, who
started the Litterati blog
in 2013 and has now
launched a Litterati app,
designed to make litterpicking fun (again, hey,
it's no Macarena), while
encouraging companies
to do something about
pollution. And, on a more
local level, councils and
communities are urging
residents to do their bit,
such as the successful
ItsMyStreet campaign
in Ipswich and the
#LitterHeroes group in
Lincolnshire. Give it a try:
your hands might get dirty
but your soul will soar.

September 2017 BA LA N CE

Funding
HUGE GRANT
'Dementia is set to be the
21st century's biggest killer
and there is currently no
cure,' says Colin Capper,
Alzheimer's Society's head
of research development.
We know what you're
thinking: 'We thought this
was supposed to be "good"
news?' Well, it is, because
the Alzheimer's Society has
announced it's investing
£2million over five years
in three research grants at
University College London,
the University of Exeter
and Newcastle University.
Researchers will create
Centres Of Excellence
to focus on key areas of
dementia care research.
With 72,000 people
suffering from dementia
in London alone, Colin
adds, 'these centres are
an excellent example of
how being united against
dementia, and listening
to those affected, can
bring about real and
lasting change through
high-quality, worldleading research.'

7
http://stonewall.org.uk
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Balance September 2017
