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Scientists at UCL have discovered how immune cells, essential for tackling infections and cancers, are able to 'recycle' material within themselves in order to stay healthy and function, a breakthrough finding which could lead to more effective immunotherapies. In the study, published in Cell Reports , researchers investigated how 'autophagy' - the natural physiological process of 'self-eating' which allows intracellular components, such as mitochondria, to be degraded and replaced - takes place in liver-based T cells.

The health of the poorest people in Britain has declined since the mid-20th century, and is worse when compared to those born a century ago, suggests a new UCL-led study. The study, published in the BMJ Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health , compared health and income data from more than 200,000 working-age adults who were born between 1920 and 1970.

The design of new housing developments in England is overwhelmingly 'mediocre' or 'poor', with less-affluent communities the worst affected, according to a national audit conducted by UCL for CPRE, the countryside charity, and the Place Alliance. A housing design audit for England reveals that 75% of new housing development should not have gone ahead due to 'mediocre' or 'poor' design.

Predators, especially small invertebrates like spiders and ladybirds, are the most likely to be lost when natural habitats are converted to agricultural land or towns and cities, finds a new UCL-led study. The first of its kind, global study on the impacts of human land use on different groups of animals is published in the British Ecological Society journal Functional Ecology .

Scientists at UCL have shown a blood test could predict the onset of tuberculosis three to six months before people become unwell, a finding which could help better target antibiotics and save countless lives. In the study, published in  The Lancet Respiratory Medicine , researchers sought to identify which, if any, gene expression signatures in blood could be used to predict the disease at a very early stage and before symptoms arise.

Disparities in drug prescribing suggest that black and Asian people with dementia are not receiving the same quality of care as their white peers, according to a new UCL-led study in the UK. Asian people with dementia are less likely to receive anti-dementia drugs, and take them for shorter periods, according to the findings published in Clinical Epidemiology .

Older adults from ethnic minority groups report having fewer close friends and fewer friends who live locally than older white people, according a new UCL study. The research, published in  Ageing & Society , found that Black and Asian adults over the age of 65 years are almost twice as likely to report having no close friends (9% and 7% respectively) compared to White and mixed or 'other' ethnicity adults of the same age (both 4%).

A deep learning system can predict the structure of a protein using its genetic sequence more accurately than any previous modelling system, according to a study by researchers at DeepMind and UCL. Nearly every function our body performs relies on proteins. Predicting the intricate 3D structure of a protein is important because its structure largely determines its function and, once the structure is known, scientists can develop drugs that target this unique shape.

Volcanic activity did not play a direct role in the mass extinction event that killed the dinosaurs and about 75 per cent of Earth's species 66 million years ago, according to a team involving UCL and University of Southampton researchers.

Megan Arnot (UCL Anthropology) discusses a new study conducted with Professor Ruth Mace (UCL Anthropology) which found that women's sexual behaviour is connected with menopause timing. Globally, on average, women experience the menopause at around the age of 50. But there's a great deal of variation in this age both within and between countries.

Megan Arnot (UCL Anthropology) discusses a new study conducted with Professor Ruth Mace (UCL Anthropology) which found that women's sexual behaviour is connected with menopause timing. Globally, on average, women experience the menopause at around the age of 50. But there's a great deal of variation in this age both within and between countries.

Women who engage in sexual activity weekly or monthly have a lower risk of entering menopause early relative to those who report having some form of sex less than monthly, according to a new UCL study. The researchers observed that women, who reported engaging in sexual activity weekly, were 28% less likely to have experienced menopause at any given age than women who engaged in sexual activity less than monthly.

Researchers at UCL have discovered the mechanism that allows the brain to monitor its own blood supply, a finding in rats which may help to find new treatments for conditions including hypertension (high blood pressure) and dementia. For decades, scientists have suspected that the brain had a way of monitoring and regulating its own blood flow separate from the body-wide blood pressure control system, but until now no one had proven this.

Offering HIV screening to new patients in general practice on a routine basis increases testing rates and improves detection and earlier diagnosis, according to research co-led by UCL and Queen Mary University of London HIV testing rates in general practice are low, despite testing being recommended in UK and international guidelines.

The wealthiest men and women can expect to live an additional eight to nine years free from disability compared to people in the poorest groups, according to new UCL-led research. The study, published today in the Journal of Gerontology , analysed data from 10,754 and 14,803 adults aged 50 and over from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and the US Health and Retirement Study (HRS), respectively.

A database of 10,000 bird species shows how measurements of wings, beaks and tails can predict a species' role in an ecosystem, according to a study led by UCL and Imperial College London. Given that many bird species perform important ecological functions, such as pollinating plants, spreading seeds, or controlling pests, the database may help scientists to understand and predict how the loss of species will affect ecosystem health.

The 2,600-year-old Heslington brain, discovered in 2008 near York in the UK, was probably so well-preserved due to tightly folded brain proteins, finds a new UCL-led study. The brain matter was the only soft tissue that remained in the skull, which dated from around 673-482 BCE. The new findings, published in Journal of the Royal Society Interface , suggest that the first few months after the person's death may have been key to the extraordinary degree of brain preservation.

The 2,600-year-old Heslington brain, discovered in 2008 near York in the UK, was likely so well-preserved due to tightly folded brain proteins, finds a new UCL-led study. The brain matter was the only soft tissue that remained in the skull, which dated from around 673-482 BCE. The new findings, published in Journal of the Royal Society Interface , suggest that the first few months after the person's death may have been key to the extraordinary degree of brain preservation.

Early Stone Age populations living up to 1.8 million years ago made complex decisions in selecting different types of stone to optimise a variety of cutting tools, according to a new study by UCL, University of Kent and the Centre for Human and Social Sciences, Spain. The study, published in the Journal of Royal Society Interface , offers new insight into the complexity of stone tool use, design and production.

Scientists at UCL have identified how a subset of immune cells are activated to kill cancerous cells, a finding in mice which could hold the key to new powerful therapies against cancer. This new study built on previous research*, also led by Professors Sergio Quezada and Karl Peggs (both UCL Cancer Institute), which found that following immunotherapy some CD4+ T cells, traditionally thought to be 'helper' and 'regulator' immune cells, become cytotoxic and directly engage with and kill cancer cells.