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A drug prescribed for diabetes and weight loss has been shown to reduce brain shrinkage in Alzheimer's patients by almost 50%. The drug, called liraglutide, is one of the glucagon-like peptide receptor (GLP-1) agonists which also includes semaglutide - known as Wegovy or Ozempic - which are licensed for managing overweight and obesity and for type 2 diabetes.

Infecting volunteers with malaria reveals why some get sick and others don't - and points to ways to induce stronger immunity through vaccination. A 'human challenge' study - purposefully infecting volunteers with malaria - has revealed crucial insights into how new, more effective malaria vaccines can be designed.

There is a stark contrast in how young people access healthcare, depending on their income and where they live. According to a new study from Imperial College Business School , people aged 14 to 17 living in more affluent areas have easier and faster access to outpatient care, including mental health and dental services.

Scientists have discovered that 'turning off' a protein called IL-11 can significantly increase the healthy lifespan of mice by almost 25%. Researchers in the UK and Singapore have found that targeting the production of a key inflammatory protein in mice can extend their lifespan, reduce age-related disease and make older animals less frail.

Researchers have analysed data from 127 studies to reveal 'thresholds' for when logged rainforests lose the ability to sustain themselves. The results could widen the scope of which forests are considered 'worth' conserving, but also show how much logging degrades forests beyond the point of no return.

New experimental results show particles called muons can be corralled into beams suitable for high-energy collisions, paving the way for new physics. Particle accelerators are best known for colliding matter to probe its make-up, but they are also used for measuring the chemical structure of drugs, treating cancers, and manufacturing silicon microchips.

The different atmospheric conditions of the 'morning' and 'evening' sides of a distant planet have been revealed by the James Webb Space Telescope. The atmospheres of exoplanets - those outside our Solar System - have been measured using powerful telescopes for some time. However, the atmosphere has always been treated as being the same all'over the planet.

People's preference for morning or evening activity is linked to their brain function, with 'night owls' generally performing better in tests. A study investigating the effect of sleep on brain performance has found a link between an individual's preference for morning or evening activity and their brain function, suggesting that self-declared 'night owls' generally tend to have higher cognitive scores.

New research highlights an urgent need for more effective food policies to address rising levels of obesity in South Asia. Better food labelling, healthier school meals, and taxes on unhealthy foods are needed to address the rising health impacts of 'overnutrition' in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, according to a new comparative analysis led by Imperial College Business School.

Leading doctors and researchers have warned critical challenges in cancer care in the UK need to be urgently addressed by policymakers. In a review published in The Lancet Oncology , a team of UK cancer care professionals has outlined ten time-critical issues impacting the delivery of cancer care services by the NHS.

An antenna on ExoMars' Trace Gas Orbiter has been given a new lease of life, helping researchers delve into the Martian atmosphere like never before. Using the repurposed equipment, a team including Imperial College London researchers have measured parts of the Martian atmosphere that were previously impossible to probe.

The carbon stored globally by plants is shorter-lived and more vulnerable to climate change than previously thought, according to a new study. The findings have implications for our understanding of the role of nature in mitigating climate change, including the potential for nature-based carbon removal projects such as mass tree-planting.

Researchers at Imperial College London have discovered how foods with a higher fibre content keep us feeling more satiated. In a study published today , researchers at Imperial have found that a higher-fibre diet stimulates the release of a key appetite-reducing hormone, in the ileum, part of the small intestine.

New analysis based on Imperial's COVID-19 human challenge study has helped to uncover how some people avoid getting sick. Researchers have found that people who are able to fend off the SARS-CoV-2 virus have unique immune responses which help them to avoid sustained infection. The findings , which are based on samples obtained from the Imperial-led COVID-19 human challenge study, suggest that a localised immune response in the lining of the nose enables individuals to identify the virus and stop it from gaining a foothold to cause infection.

Heavily processed plant-based foods may be worse for heart health than non-processed foods. New analysis of the health impacts of plant-based ultra-processed foods (UPFs) has found they may pose a higher risk for cardiovascular diseases compared to less-processed plant-based foods. The research , led by the University of São Paulo and involving Imperial College London, used data from more than 118,000 people.

The carbon emissions of French manufacturers fell by an estimated 15% during the first eight years of the EU Emissions Trading System policy. This is the key finding of a new study by experts at Imperial College Business School, in collaboration with the University of Virginia and University of Mannheim.

UK researchers have discovered a new biological pathway which drives inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and could be targeted with existing drugs. The work, carried out by researchers at the Francis Crick Institute, working with UCL and Imperial College London, uncovered a region of DNA which effectively dials up the activity of specific white blood cells, driving inflammation and increasing IBD risk.

Three Imperial-led conference presentations have highlighted the university as a leader in cutting-edge cardiovascular disease research. New research from scientists at Imperial College London could help to advance treatment and care for patients with heart conditions. The work, funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), covers areas including the use of artificial intelligence to diagnose heart attacks, remote monitoring of high-risk patients, and highlighting increased heart disease risk for British South Asians.

Meeting UK air pollution targets by focussing on urban areas will maximise health benefits for the most deprived communities. A study led by Imperial College London researchers shows that reducing typically urban sources of fine-particle air pollution like roads, wood burners, and machinery would also reduce inequalities in how different communities suffer the health impacts.

City officials were more likely to maintain climate action during the pandemic in places with more climate-related health issues affecting residents. Cities around the world were more likely to maintain climate action and enact 'green recovery' long-term plans after the pandemic if local decision-makers were more alert to the health risks of climate change, a new global study has shown.