“Chemo brain” describes the neurological impairments that many cancer patients develop after undergoing chemotherapy. A recent paper has revealed how chemo drugs bring about chemo brain. They increase the levels of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), a potent signalling molecule responsible for activating S1P receptor subtype 1 (S1PR1)—which, in turn, is responsible for mitochondrial dysfunction and neuroinflammatory processes. The good news is that we already have drugs targeting S1PR1 that don’t seem to affect chemotherapy. They are now under FDA trial for chemo-brain-mitigation. Read full article here
Research
Improving media literacy could boost trust towards the news, IMPRESS report suggests
The UK media is regulated by the likes of IPSO and Ofcom. The report by press regulator IMPRESS highlights the link between low levels of media literacy and trust in the news. The study found that three quarters of those who did not know if journalists were regulated did not trust the news. It suggests that improving media literacy is one way to stem the erosion of trust, and shows that audiences have an appetite for information on news processes. Stakeholders need to collaborate in order to rebuild trust in the news, and independent media is well placed to do this. Read full article here
Merv
February 1, 2023
