news 2016

A new way of using MRI scanners to look for evidence of multiple sclerosis in the brain has been successfully tested by researchers at The University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological condition which affects around 100,000 people in the UK.

Proteins in the blood called histones, which are released from damaged tissues during sepsis, can cause life-threatening heart failure, according to new research from the University of Liverpool. The finding that histones affect the heart's ability to pump, points the way toward a new treatment against the deadly effects of a septic infection.

Researchers have shown that graphene can be used to make electrodes that can be implanted in the brain, which could potentially be used to restore sensory functions for amputee or paralysed patients, or for individuals with motor disorders such as Parkinson's disease. We are just at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the potential of graphene and related materials in bio-applications and medicine.

Research at King's College London has revealed subtle brain differences in adult males with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which may go some way towards explaining why symptoms persist into adulthood in some people with the disorder. ASD affects around 1 in 100 people in the UK and involves a spectrum of conditions which manifest themselves differently in different people.

Research led by UCL, Yale and University of California, San Francisco has shown that the hormone estrogen alleviates the sleep disruption experienced by zebrafish genetically designed to help understand the biology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The scientists set out to investigate the function of genes linked to autism and seizures in humans by using zebrafish as a model system.

Wheat yields could be significantly increased thanks to varieties with a superior form of a common enzyme, according to new research. Plant Scientists at Lancaster University, Rothamsted Research and The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) have been investigating a naturally occurring plant enzyme known as Rubisco to explore its ability to boost photosynthesis and increase crop yields.

Underwater noise can negatively impact anti-predator behaviour in endangered eels and increase stress in both eels and European seabass, a new study published in Royal Society Open Science confirms. However, there is also some more positive news. The researchers, from the University of Exeter, the University of Bristol and HR Wallingford found that directly following two-minute exposures to noise, both fish species quickly recovered in behaviour and physiology, suggesting rapid recovery.

An epilepsy drug could lead to a new treatment that protects nerve damage in MS patients, according to research published in the Lancet Neurology. Researchers, led by Dr Raj Kapoor from the UCL Institute of Neurology, found the anti-convulsant drug phenytoin protected neural tissue in patients with optic neuritis.

New research shows wild Aegean wall lizards found on Greek islands choose to sit on rocks that better match their individual colouring. This improves camouflage and so reduces the risk of being attacked by birds when they sit out in the open, raising the intriguing question of how the lizards know what colour they are.

The UK's first national clinical research centre dedicated to early miscarriage is to open at Imperial College London. The National Early Miscarriage Centre, which will be funded by Tommy's - the UK baby charity that funds research into miscarriage, stillbirth and premature birth - will comprise a partnership between Imperial College London , the University of Birmingham and the University of Warwick.

Srivas Chennu (Department of Clinical Neurosciences) discusses how doctors could use brain waves to help predict how patients will respond to general anaesthetics. Measuring certain kinds of brain activity may help doctors track and predict how patients will react to anaesthesia before going under for surgery, our research has found.

An illustration showing atherosclerosis - blockage of the artery caused by a buildup of cholesterol-rich plaque. When plaque breaks off and enters the brain, it can cause a clot leading to stroke Scientists at the University of Oxford will investigate a new way to identify people who might be at high risk of stroke. Dr Luca Biasiolli at the university has been backed by the British Heart Foundation to study whether a new MRI scanning technique could be used to spot the potentially dangerous plaques that cause stroke.

Simple blood test capable of detecting levels of leukaemia cells post chemotherapy Cardiff University scientists are part of a UK team to develop a simple blood test capable of detecting levels of leukaemia cells remaining after intensive chemotherapy. Working alongside experts from King's College London, a team from the University's School of Medicine led by Dr Robert Hills provided the crucial data from current patients with leukaemia.

A breakthrough in the transformation of human cells by an international team led by researchers at the University of Bristol could open the door to a new range of treatments for a variety of medical conditions. Their paper, published today , demonstrates the creation of a system that predicts how to create any human cell type from another cell type directly, without the need for experimental trial and error.

Jen's doctoral success came straight from the horse's mouth Jen Wathan's doctoral research that identified how horses and humans share facial expressions created a stampede of interest last year. Not only did she have journalists hot-hoofing to about the way horses use their lips, nostrils and mouths in social communication, she even had an inquiry from an animation artist keen to use her research tools to help create an equine character in a forthcoming adaptation of a Terry Pratchett novel.

While research has already established that B vitamin supplements can help slow mental decline in older people with memory problems, an international team have now found that having higher levels of Omega-3 fatty acids in your body could boost the B vitamins' effect. The team, from the Universities of Cape Town, Oslo, Oxford and the UAE, studied more than 250 people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Oxford.

The complex pattern of 'chatter' between different areas of an individual's brain while they are awake could help doctors better track and even predict their response to general anaesthesia - and better identify the amount of anaesthetic necessary - according to new research from the University of Cambridge.

Factors regulating the biological age of a transplanted kidney (miles on the clock ) as opposed to the chronological age (calendar years) are key to determining how well it will work after transplantation, a new study has revealed. Researchers from the Glasgow Ageing Research Network (GARNER), based at the University of Glasgow's Institute of Cancer Sciences and the NHS GG&C Renal Unit, have found that these factors can provide doctors with a more accurate advanced indication of post-transplant outcomes and thus better patient management.

Medical researchers at the University of Bristol have uncovered a fundamental mechanism that explains the interaction between brain state and the neural triggers responsible for learning. The discoveries, made by researchers in collaboration with the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly & Co., could lead to new ways of boosting cognitive function to counteract the effects of diseases such as Alzheimer's, as well as enhancing memory in healthy people.

Men have one copy, women have two, but scientists have long puzzled over why the human X chromosome mostly contains genes that are active in a small number of tissues. Now, a team of researchers led by the University of Bath studying the evolution of this X chromosome has discovered why it contains such an unusual mixture of genes.