news 2022

Tailoring the analysis of whole genome sequencing to individual patients could double the diagnostic rates of rare diseases, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. In 2018, the UK's department of health announced an NHS Genomic Medicine Service, which allows patients with rare diseases to have their entire genetic code read in the hope of providing a much-needed diagnosis.

People who have a past history of hospitalisation because of substance use disorders have much worse outcomes following the onset of a wide range of physical health conditions, according to researchers in the UK and Czechia.

Problematic alcohol use is associated with increased odds of suicide or self-harm, according to a new study led by UCL researchers. The study, published in BJPsych Open , did not identify a clear association with levels of alcohol consumption and risk of suicide or self-harm, other than among those with 'probable dependence' (the highest consumption level); rather, they identified signs of alcohol negatively impacting people's lives as risk factors.

One hundred years ago, our understanding of ancient Egypt changed forever when the tomb of King Tutankhamun was found on November 4, 1922 in the Valley of Kings. Born around 1305 BC, Tutankhamun only ruled Egypt for about ten years. Yet his tomb was furnished with never-before-seen riches. Our fascination with mummies is understandable.

Chronic pain is widespread among those in their mid-40s in Britain, with those who experience it more likely to report pain, poor health - including COVID-19 infection - and joblessness later in life, according to a new study by researchers at UCL and Dartmouth College, US. Published today in the journal PLOS ONE , the research follows more than 12,000 people born in a single week in March 1958 in Britain through to age 62.

Regularly monitoring women with BRCA gene alterations associated with cancer can benefit their future health, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene alterations are known to greatly increase a woman's risk of developing ovarian cancer. Preventative surgery to remove the ovaries and fallopian tubes is currently the only way to avoid the disease.

Pancreatic cancer could be identified in patients up to three years earlier than current diagnoses, new research suggests. Weight loss and increasing blood glucose levels are early indicators of pancreatic cancer and could lead to a more timely diagnosis, helping to improve survival rates.

New research will help to provide safer surgery for thousands of patients around the world - particularly in Lowand Middle-income Countries (LMIC). Surgical care experts have unveiled two studies in The Lancet that will help to provide safer surgery for thousands of patients around the world - particularly in Lowand Middle-income Countries (LMIC).

A large-scale comparison of direct oral anticoagulants (blood thinners), commonly prescribed for irregular heartbeats, has identified the drug with the lowest risk of bleeding, in a new study led by UCL researchers. In the paper published in Annals of Internal Medicine , the researchers report that one of the two most common direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), apixaban, has the lowest risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, with similar performance on stroke prevention and other side effects.

An artificial intelligence (AI) tool, developed by scientists at UCL, UCLH and UCL-spinout Odin Vision, has been further refined to identify hard to spot 'flat' polyps, that - when left untreated - can become highly aggressive and are a major cause of colorectal (bowel) cancer. For the study, published last year in Digestive Endoscopy, the research team trained the AI in Odin Vision's CADDIE system on these flat polyps.

A new study published in The Lancet Psychiatry from Bath psychologists highlights the far-reaching effects of trauma in children. Findings from a major birth cohort study in Brazil suggest that children exposed to life threatening or horrifying events, such as witnessing someone die, or experiencing serious injury or sexual violence, are almost twice as likely to develop psychiatric disorders.

An Imperial-developed tiny microscope that can be steered through small bodily spaces during surgery has entered its next phase of laboratory trials. The endo-microscope - a microscope designed to be inserted into the body to provide views of tissue and organs - produces images with unprecedented speed.

A new study published in the journal Science Advances sheds light on how Gram-negative bacteria like E. coli construct their outer membrane to resemble body armour, which has far-reaching implications for the development of antibiotics. Professor Colin Kleanthous in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Oxford led the interdisciplinary study, with contributions from colleagues in Oxford and University College London.

Researchers at UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH) have engineered donor T-cells to try and treat seriously ill children with resistant leukaemia, who had otherwise exhausted all available therapies. The Phase I trial, published in Science Translational Medicine, is the first use of "universal" CRISPR-edited cells in humans and represents a significant step forward in the use of gene-edited cells for cancer treatment.

The COVID-19 restrictions preventing dentists in England from providing face-to-face treatment required some to unnecessarily prescribe antibiotics for dental pain, a study by University of Manchester researchers has shown. The results of the study were based on an analysis of NHS dental antibiotic prescribing data in England from before and during the pandemic, and an online survey in 2021 of 159 NHS dentists across England.

A fault in cells that form a key part of the immune system can be repaired with a pioneering gene editing technique, finds new research demonstrated in human cells and mice, led by UCL scientists. Researchers say the study, published in  Science Translational Medicine , could lead to new treatments for a rare disease of the white blood cells that normally help to control the immune system - known as regulatory T cells - and those that protect the body from repeat infections and cancer - known as effector T cells.

Researchers have devised a cheaper, more efficient, and sustainable way to produce a breast cancer drug in South Africa. The method is designed to facilitate the development of local pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities in South Africa that could serve the country and its neighbours. We were able to find a more efficient way to manufacture lapatinib..

Autistic people are more vulnerable to depression and anxiety during pregnancy, according to new research from the University of Cambridge. The results are published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders and have important implications for supporting autistic people during pregnancy. This study suggests that autistic people are more vulnerable to mental health difficulties during pregnancy.

Fossil fuels continue to be prioritised over clean energy solutions by governments and companies to the detriment of health, finds the latest Lancet Countdown report led by UCL researchers. The 2022 Report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, published today, has found that ongoing crises, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, conflict in Ukraine, and a global energy and cost of living crisis, have caused countries to become over reliant on fossil fuels - compounding climate change and its effect on health.

A new method to study the proteins released by cells could lead to the development of new tools to track diseases including cancer. The method for finding new 'biomarker' proteins was developed by scientists at the Francis Crick Institute and Imperial College London. Biomarkers are highly valuable tools that allow doctors to study biology and disease.