news 2013

For the first time scientists studying the cellular processes underlying the body's response to healing have revealed how a flash of calcium is the very first step in repairing damaged tissue. The findings, published in Current Biology , could lead to new therapies that speed up the healing process following injury or surgery.

Survival of patients with prostate cancer has improved since 1990, a new study has found, but socio-economic inequalities are still widening. Men from the most deprived areas had poorer survival compared with men from the least deprived areas, according to research from scientists at the University of Glasgow which is published in the journal ' PLOS ONE' .

We can't predict how these bacterial strains will evolve - they could become more resistant, more virulent or better able to jump between species." —Dr Mark Holmes Every so often, research laboratories and hospitals testing patients for the superbug methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have come across an oddity: a strain that appeared to be MRSA because it was resistant to antibiotics but one that tested negative with the 'gold standard' molecular test.

Almost everyone (98 per cent) who had the new bowel cancer test - soon to become part of the national screening programme - said they were glad to have gone through the experience, according to a study* published today (Monday) in the Journal of Medical Screening. Cancer Research UK scientists asked 1020 people** who had had a flexible sigmoidoscopy test about any side-effects they experienced and their satisfaction with the procedure.

Arctic sea ice volume has declined by 36 per cent in the autumn and 9 per cent in the winter between 2003 and 2012, a UK-led team of scientists has discovered. Researchers from the Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling at UCL used new data from the European Space Agency's CryoSat-2 satellite spanning 2010 to 2012, and data from NASA's ICESat satellite from 2003 to 2008 to estimate the volume of sea ice in the Arctic.

A study at Imperial College London has shown that meningitis and septicaemia have a significant impact on children's school performance. Their ability to learn and their behaviour are especially affected and are worse than for children treated in intensive care with other critical illnesses. The new research, funded by the Meningitis Research Foundation , conducted at St Mary's and Great Ormond Street hospitals and just published in the journal Critical Care Medicine , looked at children aged 5 to 16 years old who had been in paediatric intensive care.

Genes linked to autism and schizophrenia are only switched on during the early stages of brain development, according to a study in mice led by researchers at the University of Oxford. This new study adds to the evidence that autism and schizophrenia are neurodevelopmental disorders, a term describing conditions that originate during early brain development.

Scientists at Cancer Research UK's Paterson Institute at The University of Manchester showed that lung cancer drugs such as gefitinib (Iressa) can override resistance to new targeted therapies for melanoma, called BRAF inhibitors. The first BRAF inhibitor, vemurafenib (Zelboraf), was approved for patients on the NHS in 2012, and others are currently in development.

A recent scientific study has shown that pre-stun shocks in commercial broiler processing significantly affect carcase and meat quality as well as bird welfare. A report of a study into the incidence and effect of pre-stun shocks in a commercial broiler processing plant using an electrical waterbath stunning system, the most commonly used system in the UK, has been published in Animal Welfare , the journal of the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW).

Scientists at Durham University hope to find out when and where dogs first became man's best friend by examining DNA and bones from ancient remains - of wolves as well as dogs. The earliest conclusive evidence for domestic dogs is about 14,000 years ago, but some theories suggest dogs could have been domesticated as long as 35,000 years ago.

An international team of scientists led by King's College London has discovered 24 new genes that cause refractive errors and myopia (short-sightedness). Myopia is a major cause of blindness and visual impairment worldwide, and currently there is no cure. These findings, published today in the journal Nature Genetic s, reveal genetic causes of the trait, which could lead to finding better treatments or ways of preventing the condition in the future.

Genes linked to autism and schizophrenia are only switched on during the early stages of brain development, according to a collaboration between researchers at Imperial College London, the University of Oxford and King's College London. This new study adds to the evidence that autism and schizophrenia are neurodevelopmental disorders, a term describing conditions that originate during early brain development.

Scientists have discovered 24 new genes that cause refractive errors and myopia - an important cause of blindness and visual impairment worldwide, which has no cure to date. The findings reveal genetic causes of the trait, and this may help in finding a solution. Thirty per cent of Western populations and up to 80 per cent of Asians suffer from myopia (nearsightedness).

Work-related stress is not directly linked to the development of colorectal, lung, breast or prostate cancers, but can cause other contributing factors, according to a new study published on bmj.com Around 90 per cent of cancers are linked to environmental exposures and whilst some exposures are well recognised (such as UV radiation and tobacco smoke), others are not (psychological factors such as stress).

UK legislation to limit paracetamol pack sizes has seen a 43% reduction in the number of deaths due to paracetamol overdoses, a study led by Oxford University researchers has found. 'Paracetamol overdoses result in some 100 to 200 deaths per year. While it is not the most common method of suicide, it is an important one in that deaths often result from impulsive acts where death may not be intended,' says lead researcher Keith Hawton of the Centre for Suicide Research at Oxford.

Biodiversity is vital to the survival of the human race. We rely on biodiversity for medicine, the growth of our crops, the purity of our water systems and the durability of our rainforests. But biodiversity is diminishing at an alarming rate. It is estimated that 0.1% of the world's species become extinct every year.

Platelet disorders are heavily underdiagnosed, little understood and cannot be cured. University of Birmingham researchers and the Birmingham Platelet Group are running a UK-wide clinical trial 'Genotyping and platelet phenotyping' (GAPP) (1) funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF). The trial includes lab research by BHF-funded scientist Yotis Senis in an effort to better identify patients and potentially to develop new treatments.

The study, by researchers from Oxford University and The University of Manchester, found the number of deaths reduced following new legislation introduced by the Government in 1998 to restrict pack sizes to 32 tablets at pharmacies and 16 for non-pharmacy sales. Published in the British Medical Journal today (Friday 8 February), the study analysed data from 1993-2009, comparing the number of deaths before and after the legislation was introduced.

More than eighty per cent of cancers diagnosed by GPs are spotted in the first two consultations, with more than half being referred to see a specialist at the first appointment, according to a new study by a team of scientists including Durham University. The research, published in the British Journal of Cancer today (Friday), looked at data from over 13,000 patients in order to measure the promptness of cancer diagnosis in primary care.

A study at the University of Liverpool into the spread of sexually transmitted infection in ladybirds has shown that disease risk to large populations cannot be predicted without a full understanding of the disease dynamics at small geographical scale. Scientists investigated a virulent form of infection in the central and northern European populations of the two-spot ladybird to understand the conditions that favoured disease spread.