news 2026

A new University of Manchester and Edinburgh study published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity has found that people who have had a stroke have fewer of a specific type of immune cell called B cells, which normally produce antibodies to fight off infections. Surprisingly, the same compromising immune changes were seen when healthy B cells were exposed to noradrenaline - a chemical released by the body after stroke, but also during stress, illness, or intense physical activity.

Scientists seeking answers to the mystery of why cancer occurs in certain parts of the body and not others may have found a new way to tackle some hard-to-treat cancers. The research team focused on genetic faults that allow cancer to hijack a signalling system in the body which tells cells when, and when not, to grow.

Potentially more than 90% of Alzheimer's disease cases would not occur without the contribution of a single gene (APoe), according to a new analysis led by UCL researchers. The scientists also found that close to half of all dementia cases would probably not arise without the gene's influence. The researchers say that the findings, published today in npj Dementia , highlight this gene (and the protein it produces) as a powerful yet under-recognised target for drug development, which could have the scope to prevent or treat a large proportion of all dementia.

Analysis of ancient DNA has confirmed that certain human herpesviruses became part of the human genome thousands of years ago, in a study involving a UCL researcher. For the first time, scientists have reconstructed ancient genomes of Human betaherpesvirus 6A and 6B (HHV-6A/B) from archaeological human remains more than two millennia old.

Yeast left over from brewing beer can be transformed into edible 'scaffolds' for cultivated meat - sometimes known as lab-grown meat - which could offer a more sustainable, cost-effective alternative to current methods, according to a new study from UCL researchers. 'Nose to tail' eating, which emphasises the use of the whole animal, has long been an ethos of sustainability-conscious chefs and diners.