Science News Roundup: BepiColombo spacecraft starts seven-year journey; Roche takes on Loxo, Bayer

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Carrots could be key to making greener buildings, say researchers

Crunchy and tasty, yes, but could carrots also strengthen cement and cut carbon dioxide emissions for the building industry? A group of researchers at Britain's Lancaster University has been using a household food blender to mix particles from the root vegetable with concrete to see if they can produce a stronger and more environmentally sound product.

Roche scores win in slowing aggressive type of breast cancer

An immunotherapy cocktail from Roche helped slow an aggressive type of breast cancer where new treatments have proven elusive, offering positive news for the Swiss drugmaker as it chases medicines produced by its rivals. Trial data released on Saturday shed light on the treatment of triple-negative tumours, which affect 15 per cent of breast cancer patients, typically affecting younger-than-average women.

BepiColombo spacecraft starts the seven-year journey to Mercury

A European-Japanese spacecraft set off on a treacherous seven-year journey to Mercury to probe the solar system's smallest and least-explored planet. The BepiColombo mission, only the third ever to visit Mercury, blasted off from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana aboard an Ariane 5 rocket at 10:45 p.m. local time on Friday (0145 GMT on Saturday), according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Roche takes on Loxo, Bayer in gene-defined cancer class

Roche's entrectinib cancer pill was shown to shrink tumours in 57 per cent of patients within a group that can only be identified via genetic profiling, as the Swiss drugmaker challenges an alliance of Bayer and Loxo Oncology in a newly targeted treatment area. The trial results on patients with a gene anomaly known as NTRK fusion, which occurs in less than 1 per cent across a range of tumour types, were presented at the annual congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in Munich on Sunday.

Skull of ancient human found in the burned Brazilian museum

The skull of Luzia, the oldest known human fossil in the Americas, was found by researchers combing through debris at Brazil's National Museum, which burned down in September, the Museum said on Friday. The skull, though damaged, was protected by a cabinet that fell over the glass box it was encased in, the museum's deputy director Cristiana Serejo said. "Good news, a miracle, after this tragedy," she said.

Scientists prepare for an expedition to the world's deepest depths

For the first time, humans will visit the deepest part of each of the five oceans, plunging to the sea floor using a two-person craft designed to withstand the intense pressures more than 5.5 miles (9 km) below the surface. The project, known as Five Deeps Expedition, will use a special submersible vehicle that took more than three years to build. It is made of titanium and other special materials that can dive to the bottom of the ocean, said Victor Vescovo, an explorer who will pilot the vehicle after it leaves its supporting boat and descends toward the deepest parts of the ocean.

Novartis drug cut death risk by 35 per cent in gene mutation breast cancer

An experimental cancer drug that Novartis hopes will raise the profile of its oncology portfolio cut the risk of death or disease progression by more than a third in breast cancer patients with a hard-to-target gene mutation. The Swiss drugmaker's BYL719, a so-called PI3K inhibitor also known as alpelisib, combined with hormone therapy fulvestrant boosted median progression-free survival (PFS) to 11 months, up from 5.7 months for patients who got only hormone therapy, the company said on Saturday.

(With inputs from agencies.)