6kah6edj2gic8bf (2)

SPRING COMES

EARLY TO CITIES

Light from street lamps

causes trees to start

producing leaves up to a

week earlier in cities than

in rural areas, biologists

from the University of

Exeter have found.

THE UNIVERSE IS

GETTING ‘TIDIER’

Images recorded using

the Herschel space

telescope have shown

more and more cosmic

dust is being mopped up

thanks to the formation

of stars.

BUTTER ISN’T

UNHEALTHY

A review of nine studies

involving more than

600,000 people has

found that butter is not

linked to cardiovascular

disease. Its bad

reputation may be due

to people spreading it on

unhealthy foods such as

white bread.

WE GET OUR BEST

NIGHT’S SLEEP

ON TUESDAY

Data from 5,000 Brits has

shown that locals sleep

soundest on Tuesdays.

It is thought the effect is

due to alcohol and rich

food, both of which can

disturb sleep, typically

being consumed later in

the week.

WHAT WE

LEARNED

THIS MONTH

HEALTH

PHOTOS: CAIT NEWPORT, SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Chemical compounds found in cannabis may help to

fight the toxic proteins that build up in the brain in

Alzheimer’s disease, researchers at the Salk Institute

in California have found.

The team found that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC),

the psychoactive part of cannabis, can remove

amyloid beta, a toxic protein that accumulates in the

ageing brain and is considered to be a hallmark of

Alzheimer’s disease.

Exposing nerve cells to THC also shuts down the

inflammatory response triggered by the presence of

amyloid beta, a major component of the damage

associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

So far, the trials have only been conducted on

neurons grown in the lab, but the finding could

provide clues to developing novel therapeutics for the

disorder, the researchers said.

“Although other studies have offered evidence that

cannabinoids might be neuroprotective against the

symptoms of Alzheimer’s, we believe our study is the

first to demonstrate that cannabinoids affect both

inflammation and amyloid beta accumulation in nerve

cells,” said lead researcher David Schubert.

However, clinical trials on human subjects are

required before any therapies using THC-like

compounds can be developed.

CAN CANNABIS BE

USED TO TREAT

ALZHEIMER’S?

BELOW: Computer

model of THC, the

psychoactive molecule

present in cannabis.

Cannabis is a class B

drug in the UK, with a

maximum sentence of

14 years for supply