news 2018

This year, researchers at Imperial made several important breakthroughs in understanding and potentially treating aggressive cancer types. The past few decades have seen remarkable progress in the survival rates of some cancers - particularly in the developed world, and particularly for cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and bowel.

A new study suggests rolling out a Type 2 diabetes remission programme in the NHS could cost around £1,067 per participant in its first year - or, factoring in the likelihood of success, £2,564 for each case of remission. Researchers say findings 'make the case for shifting resources to offer remission' in the future.

Patients with suspected bowel cancer could be offered a quicker test to assess their cancer risk. This is the finding of new research from Imperial College London. The study, which tracked 7375 patients referred to hospital with suspected bowel cancer, compared two methods of examining the inside of the bowel - whole colon investigation and flexible sigmoidoscopy.

An active ingredient in eye drops that were being developed by experts in Nottingham has shown promise for treating an aggressive form of blood cancer, research has shown. Researchers from the University of Nottingham worked on the research led by scientists at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, University of Cambridge, and other collaborators which found that the compound, which targets an essential cancer gene, could kill leukaemia cells without harming non-leukemic blood cells.

Scientists at the University of Glasgow have discovered a potential combination therapy for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), the most common form of leukaemia in the Western world, diagnosed in more than 3,500 people in the UK each year. The research, carried out in collaboration with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) and published in Clinical Cancer Research , found that the combination of ibrutinib, a targeted treatment already in clinical use, with a new inhibitor called AZD8055, helped promote CLL cell death in a preclinical study.

Policies aimed at removing sweets and crisps from checkouts could lead to a dramatic reduction in the amount of unhealthy food purchased to eat 'on the go' and a significant reduction in that purchased to take home, suggests new research led by the University of Cambridge.

Researchers have found that gently stroking a baby seems to reduce activity in the infant brain associated with painful experiences. The results, published in the journal Current Biology , suggest that lightly brushing an infant at a speed of approximately 3cm per second could provide effective pain relief before clinically necessary medical procedures.

Smoking during pregnancy causes chemical changes to a baby's DNA that affect its risk of smoking-related conditions in adulthood, a study has found. The research, led by scientists at Imperial College London and the University of Oulu in Finland, analysed data from more than 18,000 people in several countries, including the UK, US and Australia, to study the impacts of maternal smoking on cardiovascular health.

The visual inspection of a suspicious skin lesion using the naked eye alone is not enough to ensure the accurate diagnosis of skin cancer, a group of experts have concluded following a largescale systematic review of research. Published today in The Cochrane Library, the Special Collection of Cochrane Systematic Reviews brings together a review of a large body of research on the accuracy of tests used to diagnose skin cancer.

Technology from the LHC's ATLAS experiment to be used in cancer detection and treatment at UK's first high energy proton beam therapy centre Technology from the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) - where the Higgs Boson was discovered - will be used in hospitals to improve cancer treatments that employ proton beam therapy.

New research from King's College London finds that an exaggerated immune response can trigger long-lasting fatigue, potentially explaining how chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) begins. The study is the most in-depth biological investigation yet into the role of the immune system in lasting symptoms of fatigue.

Could a commonly-prescribed anti-sickness drug be the answer for the 1.3 million people in the UK who suffer the pain and misery of irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhoea (IBS-D)? A nationwide clinical trial led by researchers at The University of Nottingham and funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) will assess the medication ondansetron, which is currently used by doctors to help cancer patients cope with the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery.

New recommendations, led by experts at the University of Birmingham, have been published to improve the use of liver blood tests. The recommendations, published in Gut, are aimed at helping healthcare workers diagnose patients with liver disease as well as preventing unnecessary repeat tests for people unlikely to have significant liver disease.

A study carried out in collaboration with the University of Birmingham has used an innovative approach to identify thousands of antibiotic resistance genes found in bacteria that inhabit the human gut. The human gut is home to trillions of microorganisms, mainly bacteria. Most of these are sensitive to antibiotics, but a significant number of bacteria in the human gut have mechanisms that make them resistant to antibiotics.

A simple compound found in our gut could help to stop dangerous bacteria behind severe, and sometimes fatal, hospital infections. Dr Ben Mullish understands more than most about the seriousness of gut bugs. Although many people will appear to have no more than an upset stomach for a couple of days, infections of the gut and intestines can prove deadly to vulnerable patients, such as the elderly or those undergoing cancer therapy.

Community screening for osteoporosis could prevent more than a quarter of hip fractures in older women, according to new research. A new study, published in The Lancet , has shown that a simple questionnaire, combined with bone mineral density measurements for some, would help identify those at risk of hip fracture.

A new study from the University of Bristol supports body mass index (BMI) as a useful tool for assessing obesity and health. A simple measure based on weight and height, BMI is widely used to assess if a person is of a healthy weight. But its reliability as a health measure is often criticised, as it does not distinguish fat from muscle and does not tell us where body fat is stored.

The well-known drug tamoxifen could exploit a weakness in the physical 'scaffolds' around tumours, according to research led by Imperial. The report's authors, led by Imperial College London, say that following further research, the drug might in future be repurposed to help treat pancreatic cancer as well.

New research has revealed how a paternal grandfather's access to abundant food as a young boy causes their grandsons to have a higher risk of dying. The findings, published today , show that good access to food at the pre-pubescent age of nine to 12 means their grandsons - but not their granddaughters - die on average earlier, especially from cancer.

Scientists have identified and modelled a distinct biology for paediatric acute myeloid leukaemia, one of the major causes of death in children.‌ ‌‌ The breakthrough research, from the University of Glasgow's Institute of Cancer Sciences and published , significantly advances understanding of the disease and provides potential for developing specific treatment strategies for this childhood cancer, which is currently treated with therapies extrapolated from adult practice.