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RVC researchers help uncover potential breakthrough in treatments for inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's or Colitis) Pathologists from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) have been working with scientists from the Francis Crick Institute (FCI) to untangle a complex pathway that could help explain how interactions between microorganisms and the body's immune defences lead to inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Researchers have used artificial intelligence techniques to massively accelerate the search for Parkinson's disease treatments. Machine learning is having a real impact on drug discovery - it's speeding up the whole process of identifying the most promising candidates Michele Vendruscolo The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, designed and used an AI-based strategy to identify compounds that block the clumping, or aggregation, of alpha-synuclein, the protein that characterises Parkinson's.

Gay and bisexual men who were diagnosed with mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) during the 2022 outbreak in England, faced substantial issues related to stigma and potentially poor-quality care when accessing services, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The research, published in eClinicalMedicine, examined for the first time the experiences of those diagnosed with mpox in Europe.

Important differences in how the nasal cells of young and elderly people respond to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, could explain why children typically experience milder COVID-19 symptoms, finds a new study led by researchers at UCL and the Wellcome Sanger Institute. The study, published in Nature Microbiology , focused on the early effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the cells first targeted by the viruses, the human nasal epithelial cells (NECs).

In a new study, researchers from Oxford's Nuffield Department of Women's & Reproductive Health have found that pregnant mothers' exposure to air pollution from indoor stoves did not affect the development of their babies in any statistically significant way, challenging conventional wisdom regarding the impact of household air pollution on fetal growth.

Childhood maltreatment can continue to have an impact long into adulthood because of how it effects an individual's risk of poor physical health and traumatic experiences many years later, a new study has found.

In a new breakthrough that could revolutionise medical and material engineering, scientists have developed a first-of-its-kind molecular device that controls the release of multiple small molecules using force. The researchers from The University of Manchester describe a force-controlled release system that harnesses natural forces to trigger targeted release of molecules, which could significantly advance medical treatment and smart materials.

A new review of research evidence has explored the key differences in how women and men sleep, variations in their body clocks, and how this affects their metabolism. Published in Sleep Medicine Reviews , the paper highlights the crucial role sex plays in understanding these factors and suggests a person's biological sex should be considered when treating sleep, circadian rhythm and metabolic disorders.

Examining the immune cells in the environment around a tumour could help to predict how a person's cancer might progress and respond to treatment, according to new research led by UCL and the Francis Crick Institute. The study, published in Cancer Discovery and reported at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024, is part of the Rubicon project, which aims to create a detailed map of lung cancer immunology to speed up the development of new treatments.

Prisoners with PTSD and C-PTSD (complex post-traumatic stress disorder) in Wales may be falling through gaps in support because of variations in screening and interventions in Welsh prisons, finds new research. The study, by Cardiff University and the University of Greenwich in collaboration with Traumatic Stress Wales, has uncovered variations in support for prisoners with PSTD and C-PTSD in Wales, meaning that some prisoners aren't getting the help needed to rehabilitate them or reduce reoffending in the future.

Neuroblastoma study identifies new subgroups with distinct prognoses and potential vulnerabilities to therapies Researchers have identified new variations in neuroblastoma that could lead to a more accurate prognosis and better-targeted treatments for this devastating childhood cancer. A study published in the British Journal of Cancer reveals three new subgroups of the most common type of neuroblastoma, each with different genetic traits, expected outcomes, and distinguishing features that offer clues as to which treatments may be most effective.

People with long COVID have distinct patterns of inflammation detectable in the blood, which could potentially be targeted with immune therapies. Findings from the largest UK study of patients hospitalised with SARS-CoV-2 infection show that long COVID leads to ongoing inflammation which can be detected in the blood.

Cambridge researchers have identified genetic variants in two genes that have some of the largest impacts on obesity risk discovered to date. We have identified two genes with variants that have the most profound impact on obesity risk at a population level we've ever seen Giles Yeo The discovery of rare variants in the genes BSN and APBA1 are some of the first obesity-related genes identified for which the increased risk of obesity is not observed until adulthood.

Cambridge researchers have identified genetic variants in two genes that have some of the largest impacts on obesity risk discovered to date. We have identified two genes with variants that have the most profound impact on obesity risk at a population level we've ever seen Giles Yeo The discovery of rare variants in the genes BSN and APBA1 are some of the first obesity-related genes identified for which the increased risk of obesity is not observed until adulthood.

Researchers have uncovered why people are more likely to have heart arrhythmia first thing in the morning. Many studies have shown that potentially lethal heart rhythm disturbances ('ventricular arrhythmia') are more likely to occur in the morning, when people wake after a night's sleep, but until now the trigger mechanism has not been fully understood.

Researchers have developed a new platform for the synthesis, analysis and testing of new compounds which may one day treat cancer The discovery of new compounds with pharmacological properties can be expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, there is an increasing interest in developing workflows that allow for the rapid synthesis and testing of multiple compounds in parallel.

Vaccination not only reduces the severity of TB in infected cattle, but reduces its spread in dairy herds by 89%, research finds. Our study suggests that vaccination not only reduces the progression of the disease, but that if vaccinated animals become infected, they are substantially less infectious to others.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have created the world's largest catalogue of human breast cells, which has revealed early cell changes in healthy carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations. We're very excited about this discovery, because it opens up potential for a preventative treatment other than surgery for carriers of BRCA breast cancer gene mutations.

People living in rural communities in Scotland are less likely to experience loneliness and poor wellbeing than those living in urban areas, according to new research from the University of Glasgow. The study, published in the Journal of Public Health, looked at the differences in loneliness, social support, and social networks between urban and rural-based individuals.

Researchers from the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Oxford have used data from UK Biobank participants to reveal that diabetes, traffic-related air pollution and alcohol intake are the most harmful out of 15 modifiable risk factors for dementia. The researchers had previously identified a 'weak spot' in the brain, which is a specific network of higher-order regions that not only develop later during adolescence, but also show earlier degeneration in old age.