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Scientists, including UCL experts, have found new insights into why some children have a longer remission than others after receiving CAR T-cell therapy for leukaemia. The collaborative research project, published in Nature Medicine , used clinical expertise and state-of-the-art computational analysis to identify a genetic signature of CAR T-cells that will be the most effective in the long term.

OCTAVE study reveals real-world vaccine response in patients with impaired immune systems Updated data from the ongoing OCTAVE study show, for the first time, the real-world vaccine responses and infection outcomes in clinically at-risk patients with a range of immunocompromised or immunosuppressed conditions.

Researchers running the University of Oxford-led Com-COV3 study have reported the results of a study assessing the immune response and side effect profile of 'mixed' two-dose COVID-19 vaccine schedules in adolescents aged 12 to 16 years - administering either a full or a one-third (fractional) dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine or a full dose of the Novavax vaccine at least eight weeks after a first full dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Frequent and diverse use of antibiotics may be associated with developing more severe outcomes after a COVID-19 infection, including death, a study led by University of Manchester scientists has shown. The findings, funded by Health Data Research UK and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) , is published in eClinical medicine, act as a warning against the overuse of antibiotics in people.

Research by the University of Southampton into the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in people with lymphoma has shown that repeated vaccination increases their ability to prevent infection from the virus, particularly after four doses. The finding, from the two-year PROSECO study , is important because blood cancer patients have compromised immune systems - either as a result of cancer, or from cancer treatments.

Scientists have developed a new approach to produce life-saving oligonucleotide therapeutics on a large scale, in high purity, and with minimal environmental impacts. Therapeutic oligonucleotides are an emerging class of drug molecules that have the potential to treat a wide range of diseases. The finding, by The University of Manchester, will facilitate large-scale production of oligonucleotides to ensure the widest possible access of these drugs for patients.

New research from Cardiff University, in collaboration with Astra Zeneca, used artificial intelligence to create microscopic particles which can effectively transport medicines to precisely target and treat diseased cells. The team say their work has potential future applications in treating genetic diseases and cancer as well as infectious disease.

Neuroscientists say that the findings are a -major piece of the puzzle- in understanding OCD, and could open up new lines of treatment. The results suggest new strategies for medication in OCD based on available drugs that regulate glutamate Trevor Robbins Scientists at the University of Cambridge have used powerful new brain imaging techniques to reveal a neurochemical imbalance within regions of the frontal lobes in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Artistic illustration showing rod-shaped Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria inside the alveoli air sacs of the lungs. Credit: Shutterstock. A research study led by the University of Oxford provides a transformational new insight into how antimicrobial resistance (AMR) emerges in patients with bacterial infections.

Cambridge scientists have identified a signature in the blood that could help predict how well an individual will respond to vaccines. The discovery, published today in Nature Communications , may explain why, even among vulnerable patient groups, some individuals have better responses to vaccines than others.

Here's a batch of fresh news and announcements from across Imperial. From new analysis on combining multiple medications for cholesterol , to research into the mechanisms that control the menstrual cycle , here is some quick-read news from across the College. Cholesterol guidelines Combining multiple medications could help more than half of European patients achieve healthy cholesterol levels, finds new analysis.

New research is increasing our understanding about why some women with the most lethal form of ovarian cancer respond better to treatment than others. Researchers at Imperial College London have confirmed that the tumours of some women with high-grade serious ovarian cancer (HGSOC) contain a type of lymphoid tissue - known as tertiary lymphoid structures, or TLS - and that the presence of this tissue gives women a significantly better prognosis.

Mortality in patients with kidney failure has been found to be 23% lower among those treated with high dose haemodiafiltration compared to those treated with high flux haemodialysis, according to new research from the CONVINCE consortium led by University Medical Center Utrecht. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine , is the first international, randomised trial to compare the two treatments.

Dr Henry Goodfellow (UCL Institute of Epidemiology & Health) explains how Long Covid is continuing to impact the lives of patients both in the UK and globally following the pandemic, in The Conversation. As of March 2023, the Office for National Statistics estimated that 1.7 million people in the UK were living with self-reported long COVID.

Smart drugs do motivate people, but the added effort can lead to -erratic thinking-, adversely affecting above-average performers, according to researchers. Our results suggest that these drugs don't actually make you -smarter- Peter Bossaerts New research from the University of Cambridge and the University of Melbourne, published in Science Advances , shows neurotypical workers and students taking cognitive enhancers, or -smart- drugs, may actually be inhibiting their performance and productivity.

A global observational study co-led by UCL, which involved more than 3,200 newborn babies suffering from sepsis in 19 hospitals in 11 countries, has shown that many newborns are dying because the antibiotics used to treat sepsis are losing their effectiveness. The study, conducted from 2018 to 2020, found there was high mortality among infants with culture-positive* sepsis (almost 1 in 5 across the hospital sites), and a significant burden of antibiotic resistance.

The University of Manchester and Link Biologics Limited today announced the publication of preclinical data on a potential new treatment for Osteoarthritis in the peer-reviewed journal, Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. This paper describes the development of a protein biological drug termed Link_TSG6 with disease modifying properties.

An NHS trial of a new blood test for more than 50 types of cancer correctly revealed two out of every three cancers in more than 5,000 people who had visited their GP with suspected symptoms, in England or Wales. The test also correctly identified the original site of cancer in 85% of those cases. The SYMPLIFY study is the first large-scale evaluation of a multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test in individuals who presented to their GP for diagnostic follow-up for suspected cancer.

The healthcare needs of prisoners in England are not being met and essential changes are needed to ensure patient safety, according to new research led by Cardiff University. The first nationwide analysis of patient safety in prisons in England found that prisoners are experiencing delayed access to healthcare services and medication-related harm.

A new generation of wirelessly-powered, environmentally-friendly 'smart bandages' could help patients with non-healing wounds avoid infections, scientists say. The bandage could help improve the quality of life of people who live with chronic non-healing wounds, which currently frequently require painful cleaning and treatment.