news 2018

Having identified the complex physicochemical fingerprint of the parasitic hookworm, Necator americanu s, researchers at the University of Nottingham set about changing the diet of a 'friendly' microscopic worm to assess the effectiveness of immune responses to anti-parasitic vaccines currently under development.

Many deadly and newly emerging viruses like Ebola and Zika circulate in wild animal and insect communities long before spreading to humans and causing severe disease. However, finding these natural virus hosts - which could help prevent the spread to humans - currently poses an enormous challenge for scientists.

Group cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) could be the best choice of psychotherapy for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents, according to a new network meta-analysis study from Oxford University, Department of Psychiatry. CBT is a talking therapy designed to help people manage problems by encouraging positive changes in the way they think and behave.

A study in mice has shown that it may be possible to detect the early signs of atherosclerosis, which leads to blocked arteries, by looking at how cells in our blood vessels change their function. The muscle cells that line the blood vessels have long been known to multi-task. While their main function is pumping blood through the body, they are also involved in 'patching up' injuries in the blood vessels.

UCL has held an independent special inquiry into regenerative medicine research at UCL which was published in full in September 2017. The panel, chaired by Professor Stephen Wigmore from the University of Edinburgh, carried out a thorough investigation of the involvement of UCL and its personnel in regenerative medicine research but with particular focus on the field of tracheal and large airway tissue engineering.

Freya, a Springer Spaniel, is one of the dogs who has been trained to sniff out the scent of malaria. Freya's highly sensitive nose could help provide the first non-invasive test for the disease. Sniffer dogs could potentially be deployed at ports of entry to identify passengers carrying malaria to prevent the spread of the disease across borders and to ensure people receive timely antimalarial treatment.

Increasing age, perceptions and multiple health conditions are among the reasons why over-50s find it difficult to return to work, according to new research which compared this age-group with the experiences of the under-50s.‌ The study, led by the University of Glasgow and published in the BMJ Open , identified the significant challenges facing people over the age of 50 who have health problems and who have lost their job.

Researchers have discovered that exposing people with phobias to their fear - for examples, spiders for those who have arachnophobia - at the exact time their heart beat, led to the phobia reducing in severity. Professor Hugo Critchley , Chair of Psychiatry at Brighton and Sussex Medical School ( BSMS ) and principal investigator, said: "Many of us have phobias of one kind or another - it could be spiders, or clowns or even types of food.

The largest study of people with mild hypertension shows that medical treatment may not be worthwhile in those who are at low risk of heart attack and stroke. An observational study of patients with mild hypertension has found no evidence to support recent US guideline recommendations that encourage doctors to offer treatment to patients with low-risk mild hypertension.

Evidence has been building in recent years that our diet, our habits or traumatic experiences can have consequences for the health of our children - and even our grandchildren. The explanation that has gained most currency for how this occurs is so-called 'epigenetic inheritance' - patterns of chemical 'marks' on or around our DNA that are hypothesised to be passed down the generations.

29 October 2018 Injecting drug use, through the sharing of needles, syringes and other injecting equipment, is a primary route of transmission for both HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV), blood-borne infections that cause considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. New research led by the University of Bristol has found among people who inject drugs, that recent incarceration was associated with an 81 per cent and 62 per cent increase in HIV and HCV acquisition risk, respectively.

A new sensing device can provide early warning of potential failure of breast reconstruction surgery, making it easier to take effective action. An international team led by Imperial College London and funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) have developed the wireless 'bio-patch' as part of the Smart Sensing for Surgery project.

Breast cancer cells hit blood vessel walls with up to 200 times the mechanical force exerted by normal healthy cells, finds a new UCL study. Using a novel instrument, which mimics blood vessel walls, researchers have gained new insights into the physical aspects of cancer migration and have revealed how cancer cells are able to coordinate their invasion to different parts of the body.

People with higher iron levels may be at greater risk of certain types of stroke, a new study has found. Researchers from Imperial College London analysed genetic data from over 48,000 people and revealed that higher iron levels are associated with an elevated risk of a certain type of stroke, called a cardioembolic stroke.

Researchers have developed a three-dimensional 'organ on a chip' which enables real-time continuous monitoring of cells, and could be used to develop new treatments for disease while reducing the number of animals used in research.

Roll-Your-Own (or hand-rolling) tobacco should be taxed at almost triple its current rate to protect public health, according to a new international study from researchers at the University of Bath and King's College London. This would push the price of the most popular brand in the UK from around £13 for the smallest 30g pouch, to about £25.

Treating periodontitis (gum disease) could help people with Type 2 diabetes manage their blood glucose levels, according to a new study led by UCL. The research, published in the Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology journal and funded by Diabetes UK and the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre also showed that treating oral health is linked to improvements in kidney and blood vessel function.

A combination of three drugs has been used to target the most common genetic mutation responsible for cystic fibrosis in patients for the first time. In the trial, patients who received one new drug as well as two existing drugs had a significant improvement in lung function compared to patients taking the two existing tablets or placebo.

25 October 2018 Elevated body mass index (BMI) - a measure of weight accounting for a person's height - has been shown to be a likely causal contributor to population patterns in mortality, according to a new study led by the University of Bristol using measurements and mortality data from 500,000 people.

The influenza virus can evolve resistance to an anti-flu drug currently in development for use in pandemics, a study has found. Scientists at Imperial College London, in collaboration with Public Health England, have discovered that two genetic mutations would be needed for the virus to develop resistance to favipiravir, an experimental antiviral developed in Japan.