WEIRD STUFF

Pigs could soon be bred to save human lives

A leading US biotech firm has revealed plans to farm genetically edited pigs specifically for organ transplants - with hopes of supplying up to 6,000 hearts, kidneys and other vital organs every year by 2028.

United Therapeutics says the animals' DNA is altered to reduce the risk of rejection, while organ growth is carefully controlled so they remain human-sized.

The move comes as transplant waiting lists continue to soar. In the UK alone, a record 8,200 patients are currently waiting for a life-saving organ, with kidneys in highest demand due to rising cases of diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Countries including the US and China are facing similar shortages.

Recent medical breakthroughs have already seen terminally ill patients receive pig kidneys, hearts, lungs and livers in experimental "xeno-transplants" - using organs from another species.

Until now, such procedures have largely been used as a last resort for patients with only days or weeks left to live.

The company is set to begin formal trials of pig heart transplants in seriously ill patients later this year.

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UK weighs social media curfew for kids

Youngsters could soon be forced offline at bedtime under tough new UK Government plans to curb social media use.

Ministers are considering overnight curfews for children as part of a sweeping crackdown on screen time, amid growing fears about sleep disruption, poor concentration and spiralling mental health problems.

The move comes as millions of parents say they feel locked in a "losing battle" with tech giants over their children's online habits.

The Whitehall consultation, launched yesterday, will also examine possible restrictions on access to AI chatbots and gaming sites, as well as pressure on tech firms to disable addictive features like autoplay and infinite scrolling.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson is quoted by The Sun newspaper as saying: "No child should feel their world is confined to a screen and the fact that white working-class girls are now among the highest users of social media should concern us all.

"Opportunity should be for every child, whatever their background, but we know that for some children where there isn't access to clubs, activities or wider experiences, social media and the harmful online world can fill that void.

"That is why we are today launching the world's most ambitious consultation on children's online safety - and we want every parent, young person and family to have their say."

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Vegetarians show lower cancer rates

Going on a vegetarian diet may cut an individual's cancer risk.

A major study led by researchers at University of Oxford has found that vegetarians could reduce their risk of five different cancers by as much as 30 per cent.

The research, published in the British Journal of Cancer, analysed data from a whopping 1.64 million meat eaters (no red meat), alongside 63,147 vegetarians, 57,016 poultry eaters, 42,910 pescatarians, and 8,849 vegans.

Vegetarians were found to have a 21 per cent lower risk of pancreatic cancer and a 9 per cent lower risk of breast cancer compared to meat eaters.

They also had a 12 per cent reduced risk of prostate cancer, a 28 per cent lower risk of kidney cancer and a striking 31 per cent lower risk of multiple myeloma - a type of blood cancer.

The study's lead researcher Aurora Perez Cornago, from Oxford Population Health, said: "Vegetarians typically consume more fruit, vegetables and fibre than meat eaters and no processed meat, which may contribute to lower risks of some cancers."

However, vegetarians were found to have nearly double the risk of the most common type of oesophageal cancer compared to meat eaters.