news 2025

Chimpanzees bear genetic adaptations that help them thrive in their different forest and savannah habitats, some of which may protect against malaria, according to a study by an international team led by UCL researchers. Chimpanzees are our closest living relatives, sharing over 98% of their DNA with humans, and the scientists say that their findings, published in Science , can not only teach us about our own evolutionary history, but also about the biology of malaria infection in humans.

A new study has found that the composition of your gut microbiome helps predict how likely you are to succumb to potentially life-threatening infection with Klebsiella pneumoniae, E.coli and other bugs - and it may be altered by changing your diet. Our results suggest that what we eat is potentially very important in controlling the likelihood of infection with a range of bacteria.

Genetic differences that contribute to how long a person will live and their risk of Alzheimer's disease have been identified by researchers at UCL and the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI). The study, published in Brain , found that genetic variations in brain cells, particularly the immune cells in the brain (microglia) and the cells that support nerve cells (oligodendrocytes), are linked to both ageing and Alzheimer's.

Researchers from our top-rated Computer Science department have made an exciting discovery that could improve how doctors treat dangerous heart rhythms, like those seen in cardiac arrest. Their work offers a way to better understand and predict how to stop irregular electrical waves in the heart, a process called quenching.

Researchers have found that a combination of dietitian and peer-supported weight management may help improve symptoms in people with both Long Covid and overweight - however, the study leads stress it was a complex intervention and further research is required. The results of the ReDIRECT trial - led by the University of Glasgow and published in Nature Medicine - found that a digitally-focussed, remotely-delivered structured weight management programme was effective in reducing the Long Covid symptoms that matter most to participants.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) could help doctors identify follicles that are most likely to lead to the birth of a baby during IVF treatment. During IVF treatment, doctors use ultrasound scans to monitor the size of follicles - small sacs in the ovaries containing eggs - to decide when to give a hormone injection known as the 'trigger' to prepare the eggs for collection and ensure that they are ready to be fertilised with sperm to create embryos.

Women may be missing a diagnosis of a potentially deadly heart condition due to guidelines that don't account for natural differences in sex and body size, according to a new study led by UCL researchers. The research, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and funded by the British Heart Foundation, details how current guidelines might be changed after showing a new personalised approach improves diagnosis accuracy.

New study is a landmark step towards better personalised medicine for cancer patients. An international team of UK and US scientists has discovered that the activity of macrophages - a type of white blood cell that engulf pathogens and cancer cells - can be used to predict whether or not a melanoma patient will respond to immunotherapy.

Researchers from Oxford's Institute of Population Ageing and the University of Manchester, and Tufts University have found that head injuries, such as those induced in sports and the military, may re-awaken dormant viruses in the brain, triggering the onset of conditions including Alzheimer's Disease and dementia.

The genetic cause for the most common type of hearing loss in children with Down syndrome has been identified in mice by researchers at UCL, the Francis Crick Institute and MRC Harwell Institute. Down syndrome affects around one in 800 new births and is caused by an extra third copy of chromosome 21.

People who care for both their children and older family members - also known as 'sandwich carers' - suffer from deterioration in both their mental and physical health over time, finds a new study by UCL researchers. The research, published in Public Health, analysed data from around 2,000 sandwich carers and 2,000 non-sandwich carers from the UK Household Longitudinal Study between 2009 and 2020.

GP practices in deprived areas should be prioritised for resource, in order to allow them to provide effective care to some of the most unwell and vulnerable patients in society. In areas experiencing high levels of poverty, factors including a lack of access to and time with GP services impacts patients' engagement in healthcare, their self-management and, ultimately, their overall wellbeing.

Bath researchers create new material for treating central nervous system injuries and neurodegenerative diseases, offering hope of new therapies Researchers at the University of Bath and Keele University have invented a new composite material that can help neural stem cells to grow The material has potential for use in new treatments for central nervous system injuries and neurodegenerative diseases Made from cellulose and piezo-ceramic particle

Interactions with friends and family may keep us healthy because they boost our immune system and reduce our risk of diseases such as heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, new research suggests. More and more people of all'ages are reporting feeling lonely. We need to find ways to tackle this growing problem and keep people connected to help them stay healthy Barbara Sahakian Researchers from the UK and China drew this conclusion after studying proteins from blood samples taken from over 42,000 adults recruited to the UK Biobank.

A n ew subtype of T-cell has been discovered, which scientists hope could be used to train our immune system to tackle cancer cells in the future. Published today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, the team from Cardiff University showed that all'individuals have capacity to make anticancer T-cells that recognise cancer cells through a molecule called MR1 (MHC Class I-related Molecule 1).

Researchers have come up with a new way to identify more infectious variants of viruses or bacteria that start spreading in humans - including those causing flu, COVID, whooping cough and tuberculosis. The approach will quickly show which variants of a pathogen are most worrying in terms of the potential to make people ill.