11: Reducing Parkinson's Symptoms, Birds Moderating Their Tone Of Voice, And Developments Into Research For Rare Kidney Cancer.

A biotech company has put dopamine-making cells into people's brains.

In an essential step for developing stem-cell medicine, implants of lab-made neurons have been introduced into the brains of 12 people with Parkinson's disease. So far, the study appears safe and shows signs of reducing symptoms.

Those with Parkinson's experience several symptoms, including problems moving, caused by a dopamine shortage. The added cells aim to produce dopamine, consequently helping relieve symptoms.

"The goal is that they form synapses and talk to other cells as if they were from the same person," says Claire Henchcliffe, a neurologist at the University of California, Irvine, one of the study's leaders.

As humans, we moderate our tone of voice during a conversation. And now it seems that nightingales do the same. The birds are seen matching the pitch of their rivals in singing duels.

The genetic code for Reninoma, a rare form of kidney cancer, has been studied for the first time by researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Great Ormond Street Hospital and The Royal Free Hospital.

Around 100 cases of Reninoma are reported worldwide, making it amongst the rarest of human tumours. Other than surgery, up until now, there had been no other medical treatments for Reninoma due to the lack of understanding surrounding the genetic error causing it.

Researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Great Ormond Street Hospital, and The Royal Free Hospital found a specific error in the genetic code of a known cancer gene, NOTCH1, behind this rare cancer's development.

Cancer samples from a young adult and a child were examined, with findings suggesting that using existing drugs targeting this specific gene is a possible solution to treating Reninoma for patients where surgery is not a viable option.

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