news 2024

An MRI-based imaging technique developed at the University of Cambridge predicts the response of ovarian cancer tumours to treatment, and rapidly reveals how well treatment is working, in patient-derived cell models. We can image a tumour pre-treatment to predict how likely it is to respond, and then we can image again immediately after treatment to confirm whether it has indeed responded Kevin Brindle The technique, called hyperpolarised carbon-13 imaging, can increase the detected signal in an MRI scanner by more than 10,000 times.

Cambridge scientists have developed a urine test for early detection of lung cancer. The test, the first of its kind, detects 'zombie' cells that could indicate the first signs of the disease. Researchers hope that early detection, through the simple urine test, could enable earlier treatment interventions, significantly improving patient outcomes and prognosis.

Around 32% of people who have had prior damage from lung diseases will die after five years if they also get a common fungal infection, a major global review has found. The review also finds that 15% of people with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) die in the first year following other lung diseases.

The first computer algorithm capable of identifying which tumour cells are driving aggressive cancer growth has been developed by Cancer Research scientists from UCL and The Francis Crick Institute. The innovative algorithm, called SPRINTER*, analyses individual cells within a tumour to identify those that are growing the most rapidly.

A new international study spanning the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada has revealed important insights into the risks associated with prescribed opioid use for noncancer pain. The research, led by researchers at The University of Manchester and McGill University in Canada which analysed over 1 million patients newly initiated on opioids, found prescription of strong opioids was associated with higher risk of all-cause mortality compared to taking codeine.

Researchers have found a new way to use biocatalysis to improve the production of critical raw materials required for essential drugs, making the process quicker, more efficient, and environmentally friendly. Biocatalysis is a process that uses enzymes as natural catalysts to carry out chemical reactions.

An international team of researchers have developed a promising new drug which could help combat the spread of treatment-resistant malaria. The breakthrough development is the first to adapt an approach from cancer treatments to tackle malaria. It works by permanently disabling a protein that Plasmodium falciparum , one of the mosquito-borne parasites which spreads malaria, uses to duplicate itself inside the human body.

People with atrial fibrillation (AF) who have a stroke could benefit from blood thinning treatments, known as anticoagulants, at an earlier stage than is currently recommended, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. Results from the British Heart Foundation funded OPTIMAS study are published in the Lancet and presented at the World Stroke Congress 2024.

Nearly three quarters of new non-cancer pain opioid prescriptions were for patients with musculoskeletal conditions, despite limited evidence of the drug's efficacy, according to the largest UK study of its kind. The new study , also the first of its kind in the UK, evaluated the specific clinical conditions that lead to the initiation of opioid prescriptions using data from nationally representative GP electronic health records.

A nationwide citizen science project has found high levels of chemical pollutants in freshwater bodies across the UK. Thousands of volunteers have helped to provide a snapshot of the health of the nation's rivers and waterways, highlighting high levels of nitrates and phosphates, as well as a cocktail of chemical compounds that pose a risk to ecosystems.

A single dose of typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) offers safe, effective protection against typhoid two years after vaccination in all children, and sustained protection for older children at three to five years post immunisation, according to a report by researchers at the Oxford Vaccine Group and the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) .

Bed availability is a "significant" factor in determining whether or not a patient is admitted to a critical care bed after surgery, questioning whether some are getting the care they need, a new study from researchers at UCL and UCLH has found for the first time. The study, published in Anaesthesia , sought to shed light on how hospital patients are prioritised for postoperative care and what impact that has on their health.

Lamotrigine, a drug commonly used to treat epilepsy and certain mood disorders, has been shown to be an excellent treatment option for a rare genetic neuromuscular disease known as non-dystrophic myotonia, in a world-first trial led by UCL researchers. The study, published in Lancet Neurology , detailed the "head-to-head" trial implemented by the researchers to test two drugs, mexiletine and lamotrigine, on people with the condition.

Scientists believe the hormone hepcidin, when produced in the skin, may be the root cause of psoriasis - a chronic disease affecting 2-3% of the population. Scientists may have uncovered the root cause of psoriasis, a chronic and sometimes debilitating skin disease that affects 2-3% of the global population.

Here's a batch of fresh news and announcements from across Imperial. From ultrafast probing pulses to a free AI algorithm that could find new medicines more efficiently, here is some quick-read news from across Imperial. W-boson mass measurement   The Standard Model of particle physics - which describes all the subatomic particles and forces we know about - has triumphed again.

A widely used drug could be the key to treating many patients with uncontrolled high blood pressure, particularly for patients with a common gene variant, according to new research led by the University of Glasgow and published in the journal Hypertension. In the British Heart Foundation (BHF) study, people with high blood pressure who had two copies of the variation experienced a five per cent reduction in their average blood pressure after taking the drug torasemide for 16 weeks.

Without immediate action, humanity will face a potentially disastrous escalation in resistance in fungal disease, a renowned group of scientists from the across the world has warned. The comment piece - published in The Lancet - was coordinated by scientists at The University of Manchester, the Westerdijk Institute and the University of Amsterdam.

Monoclonal antibodies - treatments developed by cloning a cell that makes an antibody - could help provide an answer to the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance, say scientists.

UCL is releasing its animal research statistics today in collaboration with Understanding Animal Research - a non-profit that promotes open communications about animal research. UCL and nine other institutions together conducted over half of all'animal procedures - those used in medical, veterinary, and scientific research - in the UK in 2023.

A drug known as a "gene silencer" has shown promise in reducing hospitalisation and deaths from a devastating condition known as transthyretin (ATTR) cardiac amyloidosis, according to a new study led by UCL researchers.