What went right this week: the good news that matters

Scientists have mimicked the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease in a lab using living human brain tissue, a development that they hope will speed up a cure for the condition.

In a world first, human brain tissue – collected during routine neurosurgery operations – was exposed to a toxic form of a protein linked to Alzheimer’s to show how it damages connections between the brain.

This innovative approach offers a rare opportunity to investigate the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, making it easier to test new drugs and potentially boosting the chances of finding ones that work.

“We believe this tool could help accelerate findings from the lab into patients, bringing us one step closer to a world free from the heartbreak of dementia,” said lead researcher Dr Claire Durrant from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

The results were published in the journal Nature Communications.

Image: RDNE Stock project

A charismatic kingfisher that was on the brink of extinction has laid eggs in the wild for the first time in almost four decades.

Nine young Sihek – also known as Guam kingfishers – were released last year on Palmyra, a near-pristine tropical wilderness in the Pacific. Hand reared by zoologists, the birds originally come from Guam, but have not been seen there since 1988, having been wiped out by the brown tree snake, an invasive species.

The Sihek Recovery Program launched to bring the birds back to the wild. Led by The Nature Conservancy (TNC), it chalked up a big win when it released nine of the birds last year. Now, in further good news, three pairs have laid eggs.

“The birds are not only surviving on Palmyra Atoll, they’re already starting the next stage of their journey,” said Dr Caitlin Andrews, a bird conservation scientist for TNS and the Zoological Society of London. “Their strength provides hope they will one day be back on Guam.”

Image: Jonny Shepherd