Prof Sheena Cruickshank's Avatar

Prof Sheena Cruickshank

@sheencr

Immunologist & science communicator based at UoM fascinated by our immune response to threats (pathogens, pollution) & microbiome & how this exposome affects health. Also quite likely to share random dog and nature pics ๐Ÿงช๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ”ฌ #AcademicSky #SciCom

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Latest posts by Prof Sheena Cruickshank @sheencr

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Human Flatus Atlas Enroll in the Human Flatus Atlas to help us learn what is normal in terms of flatulence.

but that is not the best bit about this research- they are making a human flatus (fart) atlas!!! yes levels of farting from normal, hydrogen superproducers and zen farters (who eat a lot of fibre are needed to build this atlas so DO join up! www.flatus.info

11.03.2026 14:55 ๐Ÿ‘ 5 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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โ€˜Smart underwearโ€™ measures how often humans fart โ€œZen digestersโ€ rarely fart. โ€œHydrogen hyperproducersโ€ fart a lot. Scientists are investigating what is typical.

Breaking news!! literally. There are smart pants that can measure how much you fart!!! researchers realised we have no sense of whether someone is farting excessively cos we don't know what normal fart range is so they made pants that can measure this.... #Fart ๐Ÿงช๐Ÿงต

11.03.2026 14:55 ๐Ÿ‘ 17 ๐Ÿ” 6 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 5 ๐Ÿ“Œ 2
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RFK Jrโ€™s pick to review Covid vaccines authored misleading research, experts say HHS calls MIT professor โ€˜more than qualifiedโ€™ for advisory panel and calls โ€˜attacksโ€™ on him โ€˜politically motivatedโ€™

Dr Leviโ€™s research has at best established weak correlations that have mostly had to be retracted on possible vaccine harms and he is an outspoken vaccines critic. That he should have such a prominent place in Kennedyโ€™s ACIP speaks volumes for the anti-vax agenda RFKjr has

11.03.2026 08:09 ๐Ÿ‘ 38 ๐Ÿ” 11 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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RFK Jrโ€™s pick to review Covid vaccines authored misleading research, experts say HHS says the MIT professor is โ€˜more than qualifiedโ€™ to serve on the agencyโ€™s vaccine advisory panel and calls โ€˜attacksโ€™ on him โ€˜politically motivatedโ€™

RFK Jr has chosen an anti-vaxx activist & conspiracy theoristโ€”who has been advocating for COVID vaccines to be removed from the market & who has no expertise at all in vaccinesโ€”to review the safety of COVID vaccines ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ

(And that pony tail alone is disqualifying)

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

10.03.2026 17:33 ๐Ÿ‘ 50 ๐Ÿ” 29 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 9 ๐Ÿ“Œ 7
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Itโ€™s shock and awe as Trumpโ€™s granddaughter does her bit for the war effort. All hail Kai Trump, the shopper-in-chief | Marina Hyde Yes, many Americans are struggling, but itโ€™s good to know the first family can still afford the Earthโ€™s most expensive provisions, says Guardian columnist Marina Hyde

What must it be like to be so rich and empowered you think its cool to post a video about buying groceries in the most expensive store whilst others struggle to buy basic ingredients

10.03.2026 16:07 ๐Ÿ‘ 11 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I do worry about said tournament

10.03.2026 12:13 ๐Ÿ‘ 3 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Oh no! Well dusk time near a body of water is prime time just now if you can get anywhere near a pond/lake

10.03.2026 08:34 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Help a toad across the road โ€“ and five more ways to save these endangered amphibians Britainโ€™s toads have begun their spring migration, putting them at even greater risk than usual. Hereโ€™s how โ€“ and why โ€“ we should look after them

โ€ฆEvery year they do a spring migration which during which hundreds animals travel back to their original breeding ponds. Many get squished by cars on the way. If you see one do help it cross the road to the pond. More info below

10.03.2026 08:21 ๐Ÿ‘ 17 ๐Ÿ” 3 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Saw our first migrating toad of the season last night. Toads are fantastic for our gardens but are endangered. This wonโ€™t be helped by busy roads becauseโ€ฆ #ToadMigration

10.03.2026 08:21 ๐Ÿ‘ 12 ๐Ÿ” 3 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Ig Nobels to move awards to Europe due to concern over US travel visas Scientific awards โ€“ which honor research that makes people laugh and then think โ€“ to move away from โ€˜unsafeโ€™ US

The Ig Nobel awards (for science that makes you laugh and think at the same time) have traditionally been given in the US but this year they are moving because of concerns about safety of winners and journalists from Trumps regime

10.03.2026 08:14 ๐Ÿ‘ 227 ๐Ÿ” 93 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 4 ๐Ÿ“Œ 13

Its a way off human trials and not clear whether substantively better than monoclonals as maybe the target of ab is not right however the approach is super cool and shows a new way that people can think about more targeted delivery of therapies with hopefully less toxicity.

09.03.2026 18:19 ๐Ÿ‘ 5 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Targeting amyloid-ฮฒ pathology by chimeric antigen receptor astrocyte (CAR-A) therapy Alzheimerโ€™s disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia and is characterized by progressive amyloid accumulation followed by tau-mediated neurodegeneration. Despite advances in anti-amyloid immunoth...

They tested this in culture systems and in mouse models. It did appear to reduce plaques but less marked were impacts on behaviour

09.03.2026 18:19 ๐Ÿ‘ 6 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

They called this system CAR-A, in which astrocytes were genetically engineered to express the anti-Aฮฒ antibodies with a tag that could then be targeted for destruction by brain macrophages cells called microglia. This would be more targeted than using monoclonal therapy to target Aฮฒ expressing cells

09.03.2026 18:19 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

This new adaptation tests whether developing brain astrocytes expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) could be better at helping target and destroy beta amyloid plaques and prevent Alzheimers

09.03.2026 18:19 ๐Ÿ‘ 3 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Clinically Important Benefits and Harms of Monoclonal Antibodies Targeting Amyloid for the Treatment of Alzheimer Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis PURPOSE We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate clinically meaningful benefits and harms of monoclonal antibodies targeting amyloid in patients with Alzheimer dementia. METHODS We searched PubMed, C...

Interesting new adaptation of CarT cell approach in which a patients T cells are modified to target cancer cells is being investigated for Alzheimers to try and remove the Aฮฒ plaques. Monoclonals to target these plaques have had limited success/use due in large part to cost versus efficacy ๐Ÿงต๐Ÿงช

09.03.2026 18:19 ๐Ÿ‘ 17 ๐Ÿ” 2 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

๐Ÿคข

09.03.2026 15:36 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Host metabolic integration enables superior polystyrene degradation in cockroaches Plastic pollution is a global crisis, with polystyrene (PS) among the most recalcitrant polymers owing to its stable aromatic structure and resistanceโ€ฆ

cool but icky research showing a cockroach species can utilise plastic polymer in its diet. Suggestion is changes in microbiome enable this although the analysis was on a small group so more needed to be done The polymer was mixed into feed so its not quite the same as munching on landfill plastic ๐Ÿงช

09.03.2026 15:30 ๐Ÿ‘ 16 ๐Ÿ” 3 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
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As controversial decisions mount, FDA shuns public advisory meetings The FDA is cutting back on public advisory committee meetings, even as the public and other stakeholders seek more transparency.

As controversial decisions mount, FDA shuns public advisory meetings. Drugmakers and advocates want more insight into agencyโ€™s decision-making under Trump. www.statnews.com/2026/03/09/f... via @statnews.com

09.03.2026 13:38 ๐Ÿ‘ 3 ๐Ÿ” 3 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Babies with COVID-19 develop more serious disease than those with RSV, US data reveal

Last year both RFKJr and Trump made unfounded claims in a White House briefing & social media that Tylenol (paracetamol) use in pregnancy was linked to the infant developing autism. Now early data suggests that there is a reduction in Tylenol use in pregnant women #HealthPolicy ๐Ÿงต

07.03.2026 08:20 ๐Ÿ‘ 49 ๐Ÿ” 18 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Dad is vvvvvv happy right now

08.03.2026 07:51 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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โ€˜We were readyโ€™: Democratic attorneys general lead fight to stop Trump As some elected leaders choose to play nice with the president, Democratic AGs have done the opposite โ€“ to impressive effect

Good to know that Democratic attorneys generals took the threat of project 2025 seriously and planned ahead

08.03.2026 07:49 ๐Ÿ‘ 25 ๐Ÿ” 8 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Sleeping cat with paw tucked 
over eyes

Sleeping cat with paw tucked over eyes

We have all felt like this #Caterday

07.03.2026 16:28 ๐Ÿ‘ 27 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Yup in my thread

07.03.2026 08:43 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

For whatever reason people are influenced though by voices in power so please please do consider getting independent and proper medical or scientific advice because they are the ones who spent decades of their lives studying this stuff- not Trump and not RFKjr

07.03.2026 08:20 ๐Ÿ‘ 10 ๐Ÿ” 3 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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RFK Jr tells Congress โ€˜people shouldnโ€™t take medical advice from meโ€™ Health secretary demurs on questions about vaccine stance and defends Republican plans to cut healthcare

I am not saying that avoiding Tylenol or using a folate carries the same risk but the point is that neither Trump nor RFKjr are medically qualified. Indeed RFKjr said โ€˜people shouldnโ€™t take medical advice from meโ€™

07.03.2026 08:20 ๐Ÿ‘ 7 ๐Ÿ” 2 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Mortality outcomes with hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in COVID-19 from an international collaborative meta-analysis of randomized trials - Nature Communications Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine have been investigated as a potential treatment for Covid-19 in several clinical trials. Here the authors report a meta-analysis of published and unpublished trials,...

But his statements about the drug hydroxychloroquine as a covid treatment which was based on shaky research that was subsequently retracted as fraudulent. Use of this drug has been linked with thousands of deaths.

07.03.2026 08:20 ๐Ÿ‘ 9 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
President Trump Suggests โ€˜Injectingโ€™ Disinfectant as Coronavirus Cure | NBC New York
President Trump Suggests โ€˜Injectingโ€™ Disinfectant as Coronavirus Cure | NBC New York YouTube video by NBC New York

Now cast your mind back to Trump when he was doing regular press conferences about covidโ€ฆ And no not the one where he displayed his *profound scientific skills * by suggesting we inject ourselves with bleach to tackle the virus causing covidโ€ฆ.

07.03.2026 08:20 ๐Ÿ‘ 7 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Changes in paracetamol and leucovorin use after a White House briefing Changes in federal prescribing recommendations follow deliberate and transparent processes involving US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientists, which normally include input from stakeholders an...

FDA labels on the drug were then updated stating its potential for cerebral folate deficiency treatment. And guess what โ€ฆโ€ฆ for these have increased

07.03.2026 08:20 ๐Ÿ‘ 4 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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What is leucovorin, the drug the FDA approved to treat autism? This week the FDA approved the generic drug as a treatment for autism โ€“ a move that shocked health experts

RFKjr and Trump have also promoted leucovorin - vitamin b9 derivative- as a therapy that will benefit children with autism despite a lack of clear research linking folate deficiency in autism and therefore any benefits of supplementation!

07.03.2026 08:20 ๐Ÿ‘ 39 ๐Ÿ” 10 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 5 ๐Ÿ“Œ 2
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What the current disinformation and discussions on vaccines, Tylenol (Paracetamol), autism could mean for us all. Disinformation and Disarray in American Health Policy Making

To be clear there is NO such risk of Tylenol use with pregnancy or in children and large studies have refuted these baseless claims finding no link between Tylenol and autism (summary below)

07.03.2026 08:20 ๐Ÿ‘ 9 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0