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Life Sciences - Health - 31.10.2024
Glaucoma drug shows promise against neurodegenerative diseases, animal studies suggest
A drug commonly used to treat glaucoma has been shown in zebrafish and mice to protect against the build-up in the brain of the protein tau, which causes various forms of dementia and is implicated in Alzheimer's disease.
Life Sciences - Health - 29.10.2024
Discovery of key mechanism in Huntington’s Disease could pave the way for early detection and treatment
Researchers from the University of Oxford have identified a key biochemical mechanism relevant to the development of Huntington's Disease. This discovery opens up the possibility of studying the disease before its clinical onset and eventually stopping its progression. The study, published in Nature Metabolism , has shown for the first time the biochemical change responsible for the development of Huntington's disease, and how blocking this change stopped disease progression.
Life Sciences - Microtechnics - 23.10.2024
’Palaeo-robots’ to help scientists understand how fish started to walk on land
The transition from water to land is one of the most significant events in the history of life on Earth. Now, a team of roboticists, palaeontologists and biologists is using robots to study how the ancestors of modern land animals transitioned from swimming to walking, about 390 million years ago. Writing in the journal Science Robotics , the research team, led by the University of Cambridge, outline how 'palaeo-inspired robotics' could provide a valuable experimental approach to studying how the pectoral and pelvic fins of ancient fish evolved to support weight on land.
Life Sciences - Health - 22.10.2024
Breakthrough drug for motor neurone disease shows promise in new study
A new drug called Ellorarxine is offering hope to those suffering from motor neurone disease (MND), according to a recent study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Researchers from our top-rated Chemistry department have found that this novel compound, developed by Nevrargenics Ltd., could significantly improve the neuronal health of MND patients and enhance their nervous system's ability to regenerate.
Life Sciences - 16.10.2024
People with ’blind imagination’ also have reduced brain activity in response to sounds
People with aphantasia - individuals who report experiencing no visual imagery at all - also showed reduced activation of the brain's visual cortex in response to sounds, according to a new study. The research - led by the University of Glasgow and published in Current Biology - uncovers new insights into the relationship between visual imagery and multisensory integration in people with 'blind imagination,' or aphantasia.
Life Sciences - 15.10.2024
Bonobos may be more vulnerable than previously thought, suggests genetics study
Bonobos, endangered great apes that are among our closest relatives, might be more vulnerable than previously understood, finds a genetics study led by a UCL researcher that reveals three distinct populations. The three groups of bonobos have been living separately in different regions in Central Africa for tens of thousands of years, according to the study published in Current Biology by an international research team co-led by UCL, University of Vienna, and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology scientists.
Health - Life Sciences - 08.10.2024
Ultra-powered MRI scans show damage to brain’s ’control centre’ is behind long-lasting Covid-19 symptoms
Damage to the brainstem - the brain's 'control centre' - is behind long-lasting physical and psychiatric effects of severe Covid-19 infection, a study suggests. Using ultra-high-resolution scanners that can see the living brain in fine detail, researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford were able to observe the damaging effects Covid-19 can have on the brain.
Life Sciences - Health - 02.10.2024
Cutting corners results in rare genetic diseases being undiagnosed, say scientists
Inaccurate naming of genetic diseases is resulting in some rare genetic diseases needlessly being undiagnosed, University of Manchester scientists warn. The Nature Genetics communication paper , published today (02/10/24 have throws into sharp relief existing data that around 6,000 UK children a year with rare illnesses never receiving a diagnosis, many dying without knowing what caused them The researchers also emphasise existing research that calculates the cost of pursuing lengthy diagnostic journeys rare genetic diseases to the NHS is over £3 billion per decade.
Health - Life Sciences - 30.09.2024
Medical imaging breakthrough could transform cancer and arthritis diagnosis
A new hand-held scanner developed by UCL researchers can generate highly detailed 3D photoacoustic images in just seconds, paving the way for their use in a clinical setting for the first time and offering the potential for earlier disease diagnosis. In the study, published in Nature Biomedical Engineering , the team show their technology can deliver photoacoustic tomography (PAT) imaging scans to doctors in real time, providing them with accurate and intricate images of blood vessels, helping inform patient care.
Life Sciences - Health - 26.09.2024
NanoNeuroOmics
Alzheimer's disease and glioblastoma are two of the most devastating and challenging brain disorders we can face. There's not currently a cure for either. Yet they also have a surprising connection. Emerging epidemiological studies suggest that people who have one of these conditions, seem to experience a reduction in the chance of getting the other, and the medical community isn't sure why.
Health - Life Sciences - 19.09.2024
Cycle helmet safety ranked by new Imperial research
Cyclists choosing a new helmet can see how much protection different helmets offer, thanks to new safety testing and ratings from Imperial College Lon Researchers at Imperial College London have developed a simple new cycle helmet safety rating system with simple-to-understand scores from 0-5, designed to help buyers select which helmet to buy and assist manufacturers in future helmet design. The system is based on extensive new safety testing experiments on medium-sized helmets at Imperial.
Life Sciences - Health - 16.09.2024
New approach to document genetic ancestry
Researchers develop new approach to document genetic ancestry University of Glasgow researchers have helped to develop a new method for understanding the relationships between different DNA sequences and where they come from. This information has widespread applications, from understanding the development of viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2, the strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19, to precision medicine, an approach to disease treatment and prevention that takes into account individual genetic information.
Life Sciences - 13.09.2024
Flowers use adjustable ’paint by numbers’ petal designs to attract pollinators
Flowers like hibiscus use an invisible blueprint established very early in petal formation that dictates the size of their bullseyes - a crucial pre-pattern that can significantly impact their ability to attract pollinating bees.
Life Sciences - Health - 13.09.2024
New process for cells to repair DNA damage
A team of international researchers at the University of Oxford (Oxford) and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), has discovered a new process for repairing damaged DNA that is particularly relevant for patients undergoing colorectal cancer treatments. Reporting their finding in Cell , the researchers describe a new process in DNA repair in which cells remove harmful DNA-protein lesions from a cell's nucleus, ensuring the stability of their genetic material and promoting cell survival.
Health - Life Sciences - 13.09.2024
Artificial sugars to enhance disease diagnosis and treatment accuracy
Scientists have found a way to create artificial sugars that could lead to better ways to diagnose and treat diseases more accurately than ever before. Sugars play a crucial role in human health and disease, far beyond being just an energy source. Complex sugars called glycans coat all'our cells and are essential for healthy function.
Health - Life Sciences - 12.09.2024
New study aims to catch cancer earlier than ever before
A new study aims, for the first time, to pinpoint the very moment the immune system recognizes a tumour to try to stop the disease earlier than previously possible. This research has the potential to give an entirely new perspective on the role of the immune system in cancer progression Heather Machado Currently cancer is usually diagnosed when tumours are already developed requiring, often significant, treatment to remove them and prevent further growth.
Life Sciences - Innovation - 11.09.2024
Wearable brain imaging device shines a light on how babies respond in real-world situations
A new technology that uses light waves to measure activity in babies' brains has provided the most complete picture to date of functions like hearing, vision and cognitive processing outside a conventional brain scanner, in a new study led by researchers at UCL and Birkbeck.
Health - Life Sciences - 10.09.2024
Heatwaves may increase likelihood of seizures in people with epilepsy
Heatwaves can worsen abnormal excitability of the brain in people with epilepsy, finds a new small-scale patient study by clinical scientists at UCL. The research, published in Brain Communications , used intracranial electroencephalography (icEEG) tests - where small electrodes are inserted into the substance of the brain to measure electrical impulses - to track the brain activity of nine patients being evaluated for surgical treatment of medication-resistant epilepsy at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, in the summer months (May-August) of 2015 - 2022.
Health - Life Sciences - 09.09.2024
Natural probiotic discovered in gut bacteria of newborns
Newborn babies are born with a type of bacterium in their gut that could be used to develop new personalised infant therapeutic probiotics, finds a new study involving UCL researchers. In the largest study of UK baby microbiomes to date, published in Nature Microbiology , researchers from UCL, the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the University of Birmingham, used whole genome sequencing to analyse stool samples from 1,288 healthy infants, all'under one month old from the UK Baby Biome Study.
Life Sciences - 09.09.2024
Robust memory of a previous event shown to prevent new flexible memories from being formed
Researchers at the MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit in Oxford's Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences have discovered a new neuronal mechanism in the hippocampus, that prevents new 'flexible' memories from being formed due to a past 'robust' memory. Memories inform our everyday actions and guide our behaviours.
Health - Oct 29
The mysterious disease that inspired Awakenings is finally starting to give up some clues
The mysterious disease that inspired Awakenings is finally starting to give up some clues
Health - Oct 9
Cambridge joins forces with ARIA to build new micro-machines that could revolutionise brain health
Cambridge joins forces with ARIA to build new micro-machines that could revolutionise brain health