A new-year round-up of the science stories you may have missed
Jan 8, 2025
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A controversial COVID study promoting hydroxychloroquine has been retracted after years of debate, raising concerns about research ethics. New findings reveal that healthy skin is not just a barrier but actively produces antibodies, paving the way for needle-free vaccines. Meanwhile, estimates suggest Jupiter's moon Europa has a much thicker icy crust, which may hinder the search for extraterrestrial life. Additionally, fascinating insights into the evolution of human running abilities highlight our ancient relatives and their remarkable locomotion capabilities.
The retraction of the controversial hydroxychloroquine study underscores the critical importance of methodological rigor and ethical transparency in medical research.
New findings about the skin's immune capabilities challenge traditional views of immunity, suggesting potential for innovative vaccine delivery methods through skin applications.
Deep dives
Retraction of Hydroxychloroquine Study
The hydroxychloroquine paper, which claimed the drug could effectively reduce viral load during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been officially retracted due to serious methodological and ethical concerns. It was published by a potentially conflicted research team led by Didier Raoul and subsequently became a highly influential yet controversial study, cited over 3,400 times. The retraction, nearly four and a half years after its initial publication, reflects widespread critiques, including multiple investigations into the study's integrity and the ethical practices of the lead author. This case highlights the significant impact flawed research can have on public health responses and the importance of rigorous scientific review and ethical transparency in medical research.
Discovery of Skin-Based Immune Response
Recent research has unveiled that the skin may possess its own immune system capable of generating specific antibodies in response to harmless bacteria, indicating a level of immunological sophistication previously overlooked. Experiments conducted on mice showed that when exposed to common skin bacteria, they produced an immune response, even when traditional immune pathways were suppressed. Most strikingly, researchers modified the bacteria to express foreign proteins, like the tetanus toxin, and the mice were able to survive lethal doses, suggesting potential for novel vaccine delivery methods through skin applications. This finding challenges traditional views of the immune system as a strictly centralized function and emphasizes the need for a more integrative understanding of bodily systems.
Insights on Human Evolution and Running
A study using 3D modeling of the famous Australopithecus afarensis skeleton, Lucy, provides new insights into the running capabilities of early human ancestors, suggesting they were not as well-adapted for running as modern humans. Despite being bipedal, Lucy lacked the physiological traits that accommodate endurance running, achieving only a maximum speed of five meters per second compared to modern humans’ average of eight. The research reinforces the idea that while early hominids may have been good climbers, their anatomy was not suited for sustained running, reflecting a different lifestyle focused on arboreal activities. This investigation into ancient biomechanics emphasizes how evolutionary adaptations have shaped modern human endurance and highlights the complexities of our ancestral paths.
In this episode of the Nature Podcast, we catch up on some science stories from the holiday period by diving into the Nature Briefing.
00:53 The retraction of a controversial COVID study that promoted unproven treatment
A much-critiqued study demonstrating the now-disproven idea that hydroxychloroquine can treat COVID-19 has been retracted — more than four-and-a-half years after it was published.
Researchers have discovered that healthy skin — once thought to be a passive barrier — can actually produce antibodies that fight off infections. It’s hoped that the finding could one day lead to the development of needle-free vaccines that can be applied to the skin.
13:02 Researchers fear Europa’s icy crust may be much thicker than thought
New estimates, based on data collected by NASA’s Juno spacecraft, suggest that the ice on the surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa may be significantly thicker than previously thought. If these estimates prove accurate it could reduce the chances of Europa being habitable for extraterrestrial life.
20:11 Modelling the running prowess of our ancient relatives
3D computer simulations of Australopithecus afarensis — an ancient hominin that lived more than three million years ago — reveals that while our relatives could run on two legs, they likely did so at a far slower pace than modern humans.
