size and the level of social seems to correlate with a
JULIAN THOMSON
complexity. This contradicts higher risk of cancer.
a widely accepted theory that Fat cells are thought to states that large brains evolved interact with cancer cells to help primates manage large in the breast. To learn how, social networks. Wen-Hwa Lee at China Nature Ecol. Evol. http://dx.doi. Medical University in Taiwan org/10.1038/s41559-017-0112 and his colleagues grew human (2017) breast-cancer cells along with fat cells isolated from AGEING human breast tumours that had been surgically removed. Senescent cells The team found that the fat cleared out cells promoted the growth of cancer cells that made a subsequent landslide. In a separate study, seismic-hazard model suggested was possible. A newly developed molecule protein called MCT2. The Mohamed Ramy El-Maarry Officials in other parts of causes ageing cells to commit researchers pinpointed a small at the University of Colorado, the world may want to reassess suicide, restoring some signs of molecule, β-hydroxybutyrate, Boulder, and his colleagues their local earthquake risk, the health and stamina in old mice. that is secreted by the fat cells used Rosetta’s instruments authors suggest. Damaged cells that stop and is transported into tumour to map 67P’s surface over Science http://doi.org/b4r7 dividing, called senescent cells by MCT2. This molecule an 18-month period. They (2017) cells, accumulate with age, and upregulated several cancer concluded that most such are thought to contribute to genes, boosting the growth of surface changes are caused V I R OLOGY inflammation, tissue damage human breast-tumour cells by increased exposure to and age-related diseases. To that express MCT2. sunlight — which evaporates What makes bird find ways to clear these cells, Peter de Keizer at the Erasmus Nature Commun. 8, 14706 (2017) ice and weakens land structures — when the comet’s flu jump species? University Medical Center in ASTR O N O M Y orbit takes it close to the Sun A single-letter change in the Rotterdam, the Netherlands, every 6.5 years. Given that RNA sequence of an avian and his colleagues designed a Landslides cause these landscape shifts are influenza virus called H7N9 peptide that impairs binding between the proteins FOXO4 comet eruptions relatively cosmetic, the authors suggest that the landforms on could explain its continuing ability to infect humans as well and p53 — an interaction that The collapse of cliffs on comet 67P have not changed as birds. normally inhibits the ‘self- comets can create plumes of significantly since at least H7N9 has caused illness in destruct’ signal in senescent gas and dust, which contribute 1959, when it entered its more than 1,000 people since cells. Infusions of the peptide to comets’ characteristic tails. current orbit. early 2013, and proved fatal in reversed decline in kidney Such outbursts are frequent, Nature Astron. 1, 0092 (2017); about 40% of cases. Honglin function in aged mice, and but their cause has been Science http://doi.org/b4r6 Chen at the University of eliminated weight loss and unclear. Maurizio Pajola at (2017) Hong Kong and his colleagues liver damage caused in mice the NASA Ames Research compared the genome by chemotherapy drugs. In Center in Moffett Field, S E I S M OLOGY sequence of the 2013 H7N9 mice with a premature-ageing California, and his colleagues strain, which infects people, condition, treatment with the analysed images taken by Quake shows rare with all other available flu peptide caused regrowth of fur that had been lost, and doubled high-resolution cameras on the European Space complexity sequences. They found a single-letter substitution in how far the animals could run. Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft A large earthquake that the RNA for one of the viral The peptide seemed to have as it orbited the comet 67P/ rocked New Zealand’s South proteins in the 2013 strain. little effect on normal cells, Churyumov–Gerasimenko. Island in 2016 was one of the This mutation boosts the probably because FOXO4 By comparing images taken most complex ever recorded, virus’s ability to infect human is scarce in non-senescent before and after an outburst involving the rupture of at and mouse cells, without cells. The researchers are now on 10 July 2015 (pictured), least 12 major faults. disrupting its ability to preparing to test the safety of the team traced the origin of A team led by Ian Hamling replicate in bird cells. their molecule in humans. the event to the collapse of an of GNS Science in Lower This single-letter change Cell 169, 132–147 (2017) already fractured cliff, and a Hutt, New Zealand, used field came from another avian flu mapping, satellite observations virus, H9N2, and emerged CANCER and other measurements to in 2000. Surveillance ESA/ROSETTA/NAVCAM
analyse the magnitude-7.8 programmes that monitor for