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A new experimental treatment for children with a hard-to-treat form of epilepsy is safe and can reduce seizures dramatically, helping them lead much healthier and happier lives, according to a new international clinical trial. The findings of the trial - led by UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital, in collaboration with the University of Glasgow and NHS GG&C - found that children with Dravet syndrome had up to 91 per cent fewer seizures while being regularly administered a new medication called zorevunersen.

Weight loss drugs may help prevent further tissue damage following a heart attack, significantly reducing the risk of further life-threatening complications that affect up to half of all patients, finds a new study in mice led by UCL and University of Bristol researchers. Published in Nature Communications , the research suggests that GLP-1 mimicking weight loss drugs could offer a promising new therapeutic approach for improving heart attack recovery.

The radio ear-pieces worn by police officers may be harmful to their hearing, according to a large online survey by University of Manchester hearing researchers. Published in Trends in Hearing , Respondents were members of a long-term project on police health at Imperial College London, which also provided infrastructure support for the survey.

The quality of sperm is highest in the summer and lowest in the winter according to a new study by scientists at University of Manchester, Queen's University (Ontario, Canada), and Cryos International (Aarhus, Denmark). The researchers found the same pattern of seasonal variation in the highest quality sperm in two very different climates- Denmark and Florida- suggesting that seasonality affects male fertility more than temperature alone.

Researchers in Manchester have developed an experimental method that shows potential for accurately detecting the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer in adults, known as glioblastoma, from the blood. This pioneering study, led by scientists at the University of Manchester and involving teams in Denmark, has been published in Neuro-oncology Advances [add link to article].

New research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has revealed that when dinosaurs leapt into the air, they may have used their tails as well as their legs. The study concludes that long-tailed, bipedal carnivores (like Velociraptor ) could have powered higher jumps by swinging their massive tails - a strategy that was later lost as birds evolved shorter tails and had to adopt different jumping techniques.

Scientists have found new clues about how the brains of people with Down syndrome develop differently from a very early age, in a study led by researchers at UCL and Queen Mary University of London. Brain cells with an extra copy of a chromosome (trisomy 21) - the genetic cause of Down syndrome - have difficulty forming strong, well-coordinated connections with each other, according to the new  Nature Communications study.

Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is a rare autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the connection between nerves and muscles. This attack causes muscle weakness that can affect vision, movement, speech, swallowing, and breathing. While many patients respond to treatment, others develop a severe, treatment-resistant form of the condition known as refractory MG.

Researchers have identified a 'tipping point' about 2.7 million years ago when global climate conditions switched from being relatively warm and stable to cold and chaotic, as continental ice sheets expanded in the northern hemisphere. Following this transition, Earth's climate began swinging back and forth between warm interglacial periods and frigid ice ages, linked to slow, cyclic changes in Earth's orbit.

Flexible electronics are often sold on a simple promise: bendable screens, lightweight solar cells or wearable devices that can bend and flex without breaking. But what does that 'flexibility' actually look like at the molecular scale, and how does it affect performance? Researchers led by the University of Cambridge say they have taken a first step towards answering this question.

A new multinational study from the INTERCOVID Consortium, led by researchers from the University of Oxford, has found that COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy, particularly when combined with a booster dose, significantly reduces the risk of preeclampsia, a serious and potentially life-threatening pregnancy complication.

Researchers have found more evidence that microplastics are impacting freshwater wildlife in different countries around the world. A new study, led by the University of Glasgow and published in the journal Environmental Research, documents the presence of microplastics in the droppings of freshwater birds nesting in different sites in Europe.

Pressure to achieve at school at age 15 is linked to depressive symptoms and risk of self-harm, and the association appears to persist into adulthood, finds a study led by UCL researchers. The authors of the new study, published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health , say their findings suggest that reducing academic pressure in schools could reduce depression and self-harm among young people.

New research from the Royal Veterinary College has uncovered how the way chickens are produced, traded and transported in northern Viet Nam can contribute to the spread of avian influenza viruses. As chickens move through farms, markets and slaughter points, they mix at multiple stages, creating hotspots for viral transmission.

Scientists from The University of Manchester and Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust have discovered that the combination of two biomarkers can reliably identify sarcopenia, a serious condition of the muscle linked to higher mortality in chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). The test, say the researchers, could identify individuals at risk of the condition which is typified by loss of muscle mass and strength as well as an overall poorer quality of life.

New research from The University of Manchester has shown that debates and resistance about wearing face masks go back a lot further than the COVID-19 pandemic.

Researchers from The Universities of Manchester and Birmingham have identified the exact nerve cells in the brain that drive important behavioural changes in female fruit flies after they mate. The discovery, published in the journal eLife today (insert date), sheds light on how animals integrate sensory information to guide reproduction and has, say the researchers, general implications on understanding the brains' role in reproduction.

Just over one in 10 deaths from a wide range of infectious diseases are associated with obesity worldwide, finds a major new study led by a UCL researcher. People with obesity face a 70% higher risk of hospitalisation or death from an infection than those of a healthy weight, suggest the findings published in The Lancet .

How does language impact moral dilemmas? Dr Irini Mavrou and Professor Andrea Revesz (both UCL Ioe), along with a colleague, explore the cognitive and emotional processes behind moral judgement by bilingual speakers. If you're bilingual, moral choices can often feel more urgent and emotionally charged in one language yet distant and rational in another.

An understudied group of bacteria in our gut microbiome appears to play a central role in keeping us healthy, according to researchers at the University of Cambridge. These are a fundamental and underappreciated component of human health. Alexandre Almeida In a huge global study led by University of Cambridge researchers, a single group of bacteria - named CAG-170 - has repeatedly shown up in high numbers in the gut microbiomes of healthy people.