Science News Roundup: German scientists make paralyzed mice walk again; Chinese scientists develop gene therapy which could delay ageing and more

South African virus variant may resist antibody drugs; Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine seems to work vs UK variant The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. South African variant may resist current antibody treatments

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

German scientists make paralyzed mice walk again

German researchers have enabled mice paralyzed after spinal cord injuries to walk again, re-establishing a neural link hitherto considered irreparable in mammals by using a designer protein injected into the brain. Spinal cord injuries in humans, often caused by sports or traffic accidents, leave them paralyzed because not all of the nerve fibers that carry information between muscles and the brain are able to grow back.

Chinese scientists develop gene therapy which could delay ageing

Scientists in Beijing have developed a new gene therapy which can reverse some of the effects of ageing in mice and extend their lifespans, findings which may one day contribute to similar treatment for humans. The method, detailed in a paper in the Science Translational Medicine journal earlier this month, involves inactivating a gene called kat7 which the scientists found to be a key contributor to cellular ageing.

South African virus variant may resist antibody drugs; Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine seems to work vs UK variant

The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. South African variant may resist current antibody treatments