Evidence-informed policy for tackling adverse climate change effects on health: Linking regional and global assessments of science to catalyse action.

Robin Fears and co-authors discuss evidence-informed regional and global policy responses to health impacts of climate change.

Coronaviruses: a challenge of today and a call for extended human postmortem brain analyses.

While there is abounding literature on virus-induced pathology in general and coronavirus in particular, recent evidence accumulates showing distinct and deleterious brain affection. As the respiratory tract connects to the brain without protection of the blood-brain barrier, SARS-CoV-2 might in the early invasive phase attack the cardiorespiratory centres located in the medulla/pons areas, giving rise to disturbances of respiration and cardiac problems. Furthermore, brainstem regions are at risk to lose their functional integrity. Therefore, long-term neurological as well as psychiatric symptomatology and eventual respective disorders cannot be excluded as evidenced from influenza-A triggered post-encephalitic Parkinsonism and HIV-1 triggered AIDS-dementia complex. From the available evidences for coronavirus-induced brain pathology, this review concludes a number of unmet needs for further research strategies like human postmortem brain analyses. SARS-CoV-2 mirroring experimental animal brain studies, characterization of time-dependent and region-dependent spreading behaviours of coronaviruses, enlightening of pathological mechanisms after coronavirus infection using long-term animal models and clinical observations of patients having had COVID-19 infection are calling to develop both protective strategies and drug discoveries to avoid early and late coronavirus-induced functional brain disturbances, symptoms and eventually disorders. To fight SARS-CoV-2, it is an urgent need to enforce clinical, molecular biological, neurochemical and genetic research including brain-related studies on a worldwide harmonized basis.

How should the applications of genome editing be assessed and regulated?

An EASAC working group on genome editing recommends that regulators should focus on specific applications of these new techniques rather than attempting to regulate genome editing itself as a new technology.

What next for gain-of-function research in Europe?

A working group on gain-of-function research set up by the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) has emphasised the importance of ensuring that the necessary safeguards and policies are in place.

European Academies Advise on Gain-of-Function Studies in Influenza Virus Research.

Gain-of-function (GoF) studies to understand factors affecting transmissibility of potentially pandemic pathogens are controversial. The European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) recently published consensus recommendations relating to GoF research review and management on self-regulation and harmonization; bioethical considerations; benefit-risk assessment; biosafety, and biosecurity advisory options; and publication of sensitive information. A layered approach to integration of responsibilities must include conforming to the stringent rules and guidance already existing. Further commitment is essential to extend the debate on issues worldwide.

Antimicrobial innovation: combining commitment, creativity and coherence.

Enhanced antibiotic innovation depends on many things--defining and validating new and better targets, resourcing and facilitating high-quality preclinical and clinical research, streamlining regulation and solving market problems so as to provide incentives to the private sector. Further detail is provided in our recent report (see further information). Acting on these critical steps in concert to provide long-term solutions requires that urgent attention be paid to tackling policy disconnects. Sustaining the political commitment depends on raising the visibility of the problems and their solutions worldwide. The academies of science in the EU recognize their continuing responsibility to help do this.